Olly Olly Oxen Free
by displacedtexan
Summary: Naoki and Kotoko begin college together, but was coming out of hiding really a good idea? Sequel to Hide and Seek.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Still don't own Itakiss.

* * *

 _[Olly olly oxen free: Olly olly oxen free is a phrase used in children's games, which is generally used to indicate that people who are hiding (in a game of hide and seek, for example) can safely come out into the open. (urbandictionary)]_

"Oi, there! No PDA in the school cafeteria!"

Naoki squeezed Kotoko's hand and released it with a sigh. "Tell me again when the college declared Ikezawa the head of its morality committee?"

"You don't have to listen to him, you know," she countered.

"Unfortunately, I do," he frowned in Kinnosuke's direction, "because he will not stop his hollering otherwise."

Kotoko snickered. "And then everyone will turn to see what's going on and make you the center of attention, which you hate."

"You know me so well, sweetheart. So," he pressed her laptop screen down to see her better and gain her full attention, "how are you doing with the English irregular verbs?"

"Pretty well. I made an 82 on the first quiz."

"Only 82?" He raised an eyebrow.

"That's outstanding, especially if you consider that I'm taking more advanced courses than most of my classmates."

"Well," he winked, "I wouldn't want all of my good tutoring to go to waste."

"Yeah. Whoever thought I'd get the nickname, 'Genius of Class F'?"

"Remember, there aren't class divisions like that here."

"Little do you know!" She pointed a finger at him. "You're stuffed away in a different environment over there in the medical building. Here in the regular world the people with an undetermined major are considered the 'Class F' of the college. The teachers even make fun of us when they think we aren't listening."

He frowned. "That's not right. Some people don't decide what they want to do until later in life. Why, it was only a few months ago that I—"

"But if you hadn't made a choice, you probably would have been in the business department with the other smart folks." She stuck out her bottom lip. "I recognize a lot of Class A, B, and C's from Tonan High heading that direction in the morning."

"I'm sure once teachers recognize your superiority that you will not feel as if they hold you in disgust."

"But my friends—!"

Naoki glanced at his watch. "Speaking of them, isn't it about time—"

He broke off when Jinko slid dramatically across the bench and bumped hips with Kotoko, Satomi following close behind. Luckily, his girlfriend had finished eating and her ever-hopeful swain had removed the dishes or else a crockery and cutlery calamity could have occurred.

"What is it, Jinko?" she asked, waving at Satomi.

"Kotoko!" she wailed. "Sensei has given us three poems from the Meiji era to read out loud."

"So?" She asked, "it's in Japanese, isn't it?" indicating the language on her screen, which definitely did not include kanji.

"But I can't read those old characters!" she cried.

"And the meaning is pretty obscure," Satomi added.

"I'll do what I can to help you," Kotoko offered, "but I have enough trouble getting on with _modern_ Japanese." She groaned, "I think I have ancient Japanese literature next term."

"Drat!" Jinko swore. "Why can't they align the advanced and regular courses?"

"Probably so you'll do it on your own," Naoki interposed with a fairly broad hint.

"If we could do it on our own, we wouldn't be asking Kotoko, now would we, Irie-kun?" Satomi smiled at him brightly.

He thought rapidly. "You know, Satomi-san, Watanabe always did quite well in Japanese. I'm sure by now he'd like a break from dry legal cases."

"Really?" Her eyes brightened. "We haven't seen each other much since hanami. Maybe it's time to meet up casually."

"So that's how it's going to be, is it?" Jinko crossed her arms. "Kotoko says she doesn't know it well enough, and I know better than to try to horn in on your date...say, Irie-kun," she wheedled, "I don't suppose you—"

"No," Kotoko rejected her swiftly. "Naoki is taking on entirely new and difficult acaralogic courses. I feel bad enough for what he's doing to help me. I can't let _you_ distract him and take away from his study time."

Before Naoki could correct her word choice, a student from another table approached him. "Irie-san, did you understand the procedure that Konoe-sensei was discussing this morning? I thought I did, until Iwaya-san talked about it, and now I'm all confused."

"Sure, Sonada-san." Naoki pulled up his notes. "Here is what I wrote."

The student leaned over his shoulder. "Oh, I see! I was closer to being correct than I thought. Er, do you mind if I check with you after lectures to make sure I understood everything?"

"No problem," he replied. "I'm usually here from the end of that class to," he pushed his cuff up and peered again at his watch, "about now." He stood. "Sorry ladies, it's time for Latin class. You're in that one also, aren't you?" he asked the student. After receiving a nod, he said, "We can walk together. Coming over tonight?" he addressed Kotoko.

Smiling, she shook her head. "Your mom and dad are going out on the town, so I'm staying with Yuuki-kun."

He pinched her nose. "Don't get distracted by video games and forget to study."

She stuck her tongue out at him and raised an eyebrow as his fellow student followed slavishly behind when he exited.

"So, you won't let him teach _me_ but he can teach others."

Kotoko laughed. "I can't do _that_ much to control him. Besides, this will make sure that more of the medical students understand the subject and become better doctors."

"But still," Jinko pouted, "I'm the only one without my own private tutor."

Kotoko and Satomi set out to assure her that they would help her to the best of their ability.

* * *

Kotoko did her best to shrug off her annoying shadow on the way to class. "Kin-chan, why are you following me? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Nope!" He shook his head violently, almost dislodging the chef cap from it. "You're too important!"

She halted her progress and dragged him to the side of the hallway. "You do remember that I am not your girlfriend, don't you?"

He scowled. "Yes, I do, though I still don't see the attraction of Irie."

"You wouldn't." She began to stalk down the hall again, but he soon caught up to her. "Tell me, baka," she bit out, "why did you wait over two weeks into classes to start being a pest?"

Ignoring the insult, he explained with plenty of arm movements. "I thought fer sure that bastard was takin' care to protect you here at college, but I only found out today that he's in an entirely different building."

"What did you think?" Kotoko asked. "He's going to be a doctor, and I'm not."

"Yeah, but I thought Satomi and Jinko would be havin' classes with ya, but they said you have some higher classes. Now that," he wagged an index finger at her, "is also Irie's fault."

"Yes, he's such a villain, making sure that I do well in school." She rolled her eyes.

"What I mean is that the girls can't watch over you and keep those slick college guys away." He scowled. "For all I don't like Irie, these guys are even worse."

"I'm sure that my classmates are harmless," she tried to assure him.

"No, no!" he disagreed. "There're a whole bunch of 'em away from their parents' watchin' eyes so they're gonna be up to god-knows-what kinda mischief." He followed Kotoko through her classroom door. "I need to find a safe place for you to sit, outta their reach. Aha!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her down several stairs. "Here's a nice sturdy person to protect you!"

"Sturdy?" A statuesque young woman turned to glare at him. "In what universe is that a compliment?"

"I meant that you're so much taller that guys would probably avoid you," he corrected with a wide grin. "So you're a real safe person to leave this little gal!"

"Sorry about him." Kotoko grimaced and held out a hand which the person ignored.

"You're not the one who owes me an apology. I'm generally considered to be quite attractive," she bit out to Kinnosuke.

"Okay, okay! I'll admit you're all right looking, a little tall for my taste, but if you say the guys like you, then all the better." He beamed. "Then they won't pay attention to my little Kotoko."

"I'm not your little Kotoko," she growled. "I'm not his girlfriend!" She waved her hands at the other person.

"So he's more like an annoying insect that keeps flitting around you?" she asked.

Kotoko nodded. "An _extremely_ annoying one. Maybe a gnat...or a mosquito? Possibly a horsefly—I'm not sure."

"Doesn't matter." The other girl flicked her fingers at Kinnosuke. "Buzz off, now."

"Oi! What a hoity-toity girl!" He flicked his fingers back mockingly.

"Fine," she seated herself and waved Kotoko down next to her. "I'll just let the professor have you thrown out for trespassing."

"I'm leavin'!" he hollered as he loped back up the stairs. "Kotoko, you hide behind her!"

"Sorry again about that," Kotoko said with a half smile. "My name is Aihara Kotoko."

"Matsumoto Yuko," she replied shortly. "If you don't mind a bit of advice, I'd cut him off quickly. His type doesn't know the meaning of 'No'."

"I've tried for the past three years. Even now that I have a boyfriend, he still hangs around."

"Persistent, isn't he? Well, I don't mind running him off for you this time. We girls have to stick together."

"Great!" Kotoko grinned at her then turned her attention to the front when the professor called the class to order.

* * *

As she gathered up her notes, Kotoko turned to Matsumoto. "Thanks for the help earlier. If there's anything you need, just ask me!"

She grew thoughtful. "I have been looking for someone…" She shook her head. "No, never mind; you won't know him."

"You might be surprised," Kotoko told her. "A lot of the people here went to high school together."

"Even so, I'm sure you don't run in the same circles."

"What makes you think that?"

"Look. I heard your answers in class. The person I'm searching for is a genius and you...are not."

"I know I'm not as good as most of the people here, but I'm trying really hard!" Kotoko was beginning to feel a little offended.

Matsumoto set her jaw and turned to Kotoko. "I'm going to be frank with you."

"Huh?"

"I'm planning to ace this almost elementary class in this ridiculously podunk school. I don't want the professor to associate us together; he might grade me down. No offense." She circled Kotoko and exited the classroom.

Staring after her in shock for a few seconds, Kotoko finally recovered and shook her head. "Gee, and I thought we'd bonded so well," she commented sarcastically.

Hearing a choking sound, she turned to see a person with his head down, shoulders shaking.

"Sorry," she said, "I guess that wasn't too nice."

The slightly overweight student raised his eyes and gave her a shy grin. "She didn't hear it, and besides, it's not as if she doesn't deserve it. That was pretty arrogant of her."

"Yeah, I guess it was. Wonder why she's so stuck-up? Anyway, I'm Aihara Kotoko."

"Aoki Takeshi."

* * *

A/N: With the holidays coming, I won't be able to keep up with my usual rapid uploads. (Besides the fact that I haven't finished the story yet!) I beg for your patience and hope you understand.


	2. Chapter 2

Naoki handed back Kotoko's Japanese worksheet. "Redo numbers 3 and 9."

"I wish you wouldn't neglect your own studies to check over mine," she scolded. "Being a doctor is so import—"

He silenced her with a kiss. "I am not neglecting my studies. Right now it only feels like an extension of my high school science classes. Now if I had transferred in the middle of the course of studies," he chuckled, "it would be a different matter."

"Well, I'm not going to be satisfied unless you ace them all," she replied stubbornly.

"Don't worry." He tapped his head. "This brain hasn't let me down yet. Say, you never did let me know what that idiot wanted with you yesterday."

Kotoko rolled her eyes. "Kin-chan?"

"Who else would I describe in that manner?"

"Right." She sighed then explained, "Since Advanced English isn't a class with Jinko and Satomi, he made me sit with a total stranger."

"How did that go?" Naoki recognized that his girlfriend was much more social than he and assumed that she was about to describe a new friendship. He was thus surprised with her frown.

"It was odd. She started off friendly then at the end of class pretty much told me to leave her alone."

"That is weird. Any idea what set her off?"

"She seems to think that my Class F brains would make the professor think less of her and didn't want me hanging around."

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her. "You don't need friends like that anyway."

"Oh, I know that quite well," she grinned. "Although when I smarted off about her, someone else laughed at my comment. That's the kind of person I might try sitting next to."

"Just don't have too much fun during the actual class," he warned her. "Say, why was Ikezawa telling you where to sit anyway?"

"He thought that I needed protection from lecherous college students. As if!" she scoffed.

"I don't know." Naoki slid closer to her. "There's a lecherous college student right here."

"Good thing he's not around then, since I don't want to be protected from you!"

* * *

Kotoko descended the steps into the classroom, trying to put her frustration with Kinnosuke behind her. He was still escorting her to her classes, endangering his cafeteria job despite her pleas. At least he did not follow her into this one today. She saw Matsumoto several tables below, already seated next to a slim young man with long hair.

"I wonder if he has passed her intelligence quiz." Kotoko started and turned to see a shyly grinning Aoki.

"I don't know," she laughed. "Do you think we should warn him about it?"

Watching the two in intense conversation, he shook his head. "Let him take his chances like everyone else."

"You're mean," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "I like that. Want to sit together, or are you afraid I will affect your grade?"

"Oh, ah, sure!" The young man suddenly blushed and almost dropped his books. Kotoko grabbed for them and led the way to a table not far from the two they had been observing.

A loose paper slid out of a drawing pad and Kotoko gasped when she saw it. "May I look?" she asked.

Aoki blushed even more, if possible. "If you want."

Kotoko pulled out a full-length portrait of Matsumoto, rendered in manga-style, clad in a brief costume. "Does she know—?" She cocked her head to the other table.

"Oh, no!" he denied vigorously. "It's just that she is ideally proportioned for an anime that my friends are putting together, and I was doing some life studies."

"Yes, she does appear to be the perfect heroine." Kotoko nodded.

"Too bad the personality doesn't match," he riposted.

"But you're just interested in her body, right?" she teased.

"Not in that way!" he choked.

"Oh, relax!" She patted his arm. Seeing his fingers twitch, she said, "Go ahead. I know you want to draw her again."

He gratefully pulled out pencils and began sketching her in another pose. With the scratch of his strokes barely making a noise, Kotoko's attention drifted to the other table's conversation until the professor's arrival.

* * *

"Yo, Kotoko!" Jinko hailed her friend. "How was English with the snooty princess? Oh! I didn't see you," she apologized to Aoki, who she had slid into.

"He's not exactly invisible," Naoki said dryly as Kotoko began to introduce her new pal to Satomi and Jinko.

"Don't mind my friend," Satomi nodded at him, "she tends to go full speed without checking for obstacles."

"No problem." Aoki turned to Kotoko. "Does 'snooty princess' refer to who I think?"

"Yes, it does. Hey, you guys!" Kotoko added excitedly, "Aoki-chan here is an artist. Here's a picture he drew of her!"

"So we can identify and avoid her, right?" Satomi asked.

"Say, this is good!" Jinko exclaimed.

"It is very nice," Naoki added. "She looks a little familiar, but with the anime styling…"

"Maybe _you're_ the one she's looking for!" Kotoko exclaimed.

"Say, what?" Jinko and Satomi turned for an explanation.

"The other day she said that she came here to find someone, and today she was talking with another student before class about it. Funny, but he's doing the same thing."

"Do you think they're looking for the same person?" Jinko wondered.

"No," Kotoko shook her head emphatically, "what are the odds on that?"

* * *

"Has Mother been harassing you much about where I live?" Naoki asked on the final leg of their walk to the Irie home. He was coming for one of Mrs. Irie's required family dinner meals.

"No, she has been strangely quiet," Kotoko told him. "And I check that tracking app whenever I go to your apartment, and she hasn't been following me."

"That worries me some." Naoki pondered the matter. "She's up to something."

Sure enough, she was. "A family trip during the summer break? Why plan so far ahead?" Naoki complained.

"Because if I didn't make you put it on your calendar now, you'd wiggle out of it when the time comes," she waved a finger in his direction.

His scowl was confirmation that she was correct. "You do know that I'm in medical school, don't you? That's a challenging course of study. Why do you think I would be able to take time off for that?"

"Didn't you tell me that it wasn't that hard yet?" Kotoko asked innocently.

Yuuki snorted when his older brother hissed, "You're supposed to be on _my_ side!"

"Oopsie!" She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't get onto dear Kotoko-chan," his mother chided. "It's not for the entire break. Surely you can spare one week for your loving and supportive family. Plus, all work and no play make Naoki a dull boy! Kotoko-chan might get bored with you then!"

Knowing that he had lost this battle, he sighed. "Okay, what are the dates?"

* * *

"Where's your artist pal?" Jinko asked Kotoko at lunch.

"Aoki-chan? He's meeting with some of his anime club friends. They are already making plans for the fall festival."

"Another person who thinks far, far ahead." Naoki was still grumpy about his mother's commandeering a week of his summer break.

"Well, I'm not sure about how much time making a movie takes, but I suppose that's not too far off the mark," Satomi commented.

"I wonder if they need any help with background music," Jinko mused. "Do you have any idea where—"

"Irie-kun!" A delighted voice broke in on them. The entire table turned at the sound.

Kotoko grabbed her friend's arm. "It's the one from my class! The stuck-up one!"

"I know!" Jinko pried the fingers away. "I recognize her from the drawing."

"I had heard that you decided against Todai and chose to attend here," Matsumoto gushed. "Imagine running into you like this! What a coincidence!"

Realizing who she had been searching for, Kotoko narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Coincidence, my Aunt Fanny."

"Yeah!" Her friends joined her in giving the tall beauty the evil eye.

"Ah, Matsumoto-san from the tennis competitions," Naoki greeted her while keeping track of the reactions of others at the table. "Congratulations on your last tournament."

"Well, I didn't come in first, but it was a personal best." She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "So, may I join you?" She didn't wait for an answer but took the seat next to him, shoving medical student Sonada farther down the bench.

Grinning widely, Kotoko waved. "Hi, again!"

The brunette's expression indicated that she might have an upset stomach. "Koniko, was it?"

"Close," she said, keeping the smile on her face with difficulty.

Matsumoto turned to Naoki. "This table is a little crowded. I believe I see an unoccupied one over there."

"No, that's all right," he replied. "I'm almost finished anyway." He wiped his mouth and stood. "I have a lab today, so I'll be a little late tonight," he said to Kotoko.

Feeling mischievous and a little spiteful, she rose and pulled his head down for a kiss. "I'll drop by Dad's and bring us home some dinner, _Sweetheart_."

"Um, yeah." His face flushing at the public and unexpected embrace, he bowed jerkily. "It was nice running into you again, Matsumoto-san."

That person managed to pry her chin from the floor and turned to glare at Kotoko, who was cheerfully watching him and Sonada make an unusually rapid exit. "What was _that_ all about?!"

"You really shouldn't be so selective in your friendships," she chided. "Else you might have found out that he's my boyfriend a couple weeks ago."

"Boyfriend?! Impossible!" she raged. "Irie-kun never intimated that he had any...entanglements when we last met!"

"Well, we were keeping it on the down-low last year." Kotoko folded her arms and leaned across the table. "There were a number of people who thought they had the right to arrange our love life, and we just didn't care for the hassle."

"Speaking of hassle…" Satomi trailed away as Kinnosuke approached at full speed.

"Kotoko! What was that just now?! I told you none of _that_ in the cafeteria."

"Give it a break, Ikky."

Matsumoto pointed at the newcomer. "I thought _he_ was your boyfriend."

"I told you he wasn't!" Kotoko squawked then rolled her eyes as Kinnosuke waxed eloquent on why he was the better choice and the tragedy it was that she couldn't see it.

"All right, all right! Sorry I said anything!" Matsumoto waved her hand at him. "Now, buzz away like a good little insect."

"Insect!" He blinked at her several times. "Why, you're that snooty broad in Kotoko's class that I ordered to protect her. No need for that in here." He pressed a thumb to his chest. "I'm on duty now."

"You're on hallucinogens if you think she will ever consider you," Satomi joked.

"I don't see why you don't," Matsumoto crooned with a sickly sweet smile. "You both seem to have so much in common."

"Shut it, sister." Jinko was blunt. "It's clear that you have your eye on Irie-kun. I'd advise you to butt out." She cracked her knuckles deliberately.

Matsumoto stood. "Well, I do not accept this pairing. It is ludicrous. I shall definitely do what I can to prove my superior worthiness as a match for him."

"That sounds like a challenge, maybe even a threat," Satomi spoke before Kotoko could say a word.

"No, that's a promise," she corrected her before exiting the cafeteria with dramatic flair.

"Wow," Kotoko managed. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come out of hiding."


	3. Chapter 3

"So I _was_ the person she was looking for." Naoki shook his head as he put away the dishes. "We only ran into each other a few times throughout high school. I never thought I made such an impact on her."

"Believe me, you make quite an impact," Kotoko teased. "I should know—remember, you fell on me after the relay race."

"Haha," he said without humor then bent down and kissed her quickly to show that he wasn't angry at the reminder.

"I just wonder what her next move is going to be," she mused.

"Better that you worry about what _my_ next move is going to be," Naoki declared before sweeping her off her feet and bouncing them both onto the bed.

"Oh, I never worry about that," she assured him as she placed both hands on his cheeks and kissed him loudly.

* * *

Matsumoto's strategy was apparently to force her way into Naoki's presence as much as possible. As their courses of study were in two separate buildings, the most convenient time was during lunch.

"So why do we _all_ have to suffer with this bitch's company?" complained Jinko.

"What a fascinating character study she makes," marveled Aoki, who, along with medical student Sonada, frequently joined them. "Despite her appearance, I'm having doubts about her being heroine material."

"Doesn't take a genius to figure that out," Satomi groused. "I wonder if Watanabe-kun has learned to write a cease-and-desist order yet?"

The acknowledged couple of the group communicated with hand motions and facial expressions as Matsumoto carried on a monologue, each item extolling her superiority. Naoki almost sighed in relief when they were interrupted; that is, until he recognized the booming voice.

"Irie! I heard that you were here at Tonan U!"

"Hello, Sudo-sempai," he greeted him in a subdued tone.

"Who's this?" Kotoko whispered.

Overhearing, the mustachioed macho male puffed out his chest. "Only the assistant captain of the tennis team here. We have a lauded tradition of winning. Hoo-rah!"

"Ugh," Satomi leaned into Jinko. "Is it just me, or is he even skeevier than Kin-chan?"

"It's not just you," she replied, lip curled in distaste.

"Now, Irie," he pulled a rolled sheaf of papers from his back pocket, "just put your name and phone number down on this list, and we can continue our streak."

Naoki shoved it away. "I'm not interested in playing college tennis, Sempai."

"What?" He faked a heart palpitation. "You have been ranked in the top 15 for the past four years! That is just a waste of talent."

"I have a new interest." He said firmly, "You'll have to find someone with more time than I have. Now, if you will excuse me?" He disposed of his trash and headed to his next class, Sonada at his heels.

"Don't think you'll escape me so easily!" he hollered after him. "Drat! I'll have to try and find some other way to get him on board."

Matsumoto rose and took his arm. "Perhaps I can offer you a few ideas, if you'd like to walk me to the business building."

Sudo did a double-take, finally focusing on the beauty before him. "Charmed, of course! Allow me to introduce myself, Sudo Kousei. And would you also perhaps be a business major? I am a second year and would be more than happy to guide you towards the easiest professors. Perhaps over dinner?"

Her smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. "It might not take that much time. But let's leave so that we can have some…" she glanced at the interested table "...privacy for our negotiations."

As they walked into the sunshine, Aoki voiced what all of them were thinking. "I have a _bad_ feeling about this."

* * *

"You say you have an idea to help me convince Irie to join the team?" Sudo sauntered next to Matsumoto, proud that the campus could see the woman at his side.

"Not so much of an idea," she hedged, "but I would recommend that you continue to apply pressure. Do not let up until he agrees."

He scratched his head. "What'll that get me, except to irritate him? And he can be pretty cutting in his remarks if you bother him."

"What you get is me," she smiled widely, backtracking when she spied a lustful spark in his eyes, "on your tennis team. Matsumoto Yuko," she held out a hand. "I have been in the final four for the past two Interhighs."

"Ah! I thought you looked familiar!" He waved a finger. "You used to wear your hair up in a tight bun."

"Yes," she said, "until it got so long that it gave me a headache before the second match was over. But never mind that!"

"It's just that I thought it was so sexy…"

She shuddered and moved a few centimeters away. "Look, just so you don't get any strange ideas about me: I'm wanting to separate Irie-kun from that ditzy baka who thinks she can be his girlfriend. Tennis practice should take a lot of time and allow me to present my case—so to speak—without her around."

"You're attracted to that cold man?"

She glared at him from under lowered eyebrows. "I prefer the adjectives 'calm, cool and collected'."

"Hmm...okay then," he agreed quickly. "I'll attack him again. I've got a few things on him that I bet he wouldn't want his parents to hear about."

Matsumoto gave him a quick nod. "Whatever works!"

As they continued their progress towards the business building, Sudo's mind raced. _Joining the tennis club will mean that Matsumoto will be in close contact with me, so I'll be able to show her **my** brand of charm. But how to provide a barrier to Irie during practice sessions? Hmm?_

* * *

"You look pleased with yourself, Yuko-san."

"Do I?" Matsumoto considered that perhaps she was glowing with happiness. "It's just that I finally tracked down my quarry, Sei-san."

Her neighbor's shoulders sagged. "You've had better luck than me, then. And for the life of me, I don't see what this piddling college has to offer to lure him away from Todai."

She turned to him. "You know, even though we attended the same high school and were both honor students, we never ran in the same circles. Who are you so intent on locating?"

"Never mind," he waved away her question, "you wouldn't know him. He is way above even your—at least, in this setting—superior brain."

Her lip curled. "Is that an indirect way of insulting my intelligence? Well, Mr. Super-Smart-But-Dumb, let me give you some advice." She pressed a perfectly manicured fingertip to the page of his opened book. "No matter how elevated your quarry, he still has to eat. Try the cafeteria; that's where I ran mine to ground."

His mouth gaped for a moment. "I never thought about that. He _is_ human, after all."

She shifted her chair half a meter away. "He is," she muttered, "but I'm not so sure about you."

Not even noticing, he rubbed his hands together in glee. "My competitor, my rival, my nemesis! Soon we will battle once more, and this time _I_ will be the victor." Raising an arm above his head, he cried, "There can be only one!"

"Damn." Matsumoto stood and moved all of her paraphernalia to a table across the room. "Maybe I should have stuck with Aihara."

* * *

Kotoko rolled on the bed, breathless from giggles. "The famous Irie-kun watched AVs in the sports room at high school?"

"I'd really rather that _not_ become public knowledge. Especially to my mother. She would leap on it as a reason for me to move back home." His voice rose in an imitation of Mrs. Irie. "'Such a lack of judgment makes me doubt your father's wisdom in allowing you to live on your own.'"

"Your secret is safe with me," she chortled.

"It better be."

He reached over and ran his fingers across her ribs, smiling when she squealed, "Don't worry—no one would believe me even if I told them!"

Naoki pushed hair off his forehead and gave a short laugh. "I don't know why Sudo-the-Demon thought that would be enough to blackmail me into joining the tennis team. He'd be the one to come off with the dirtier hands if it got out."

"So none of the coaches found out?" She sat up cross-legged once her bout of hilarity ceased.

"Oh, they knew, but Sudo was enough of a pain in the ass that they left him alone. I mean, he helped the team with its winning streak, so they trusted that he wouldn't go too far out of bounds."

"Yeah, I can see that he's a little difficult. Although," she chewed on the edge of a thumbnail, "you probably should get some physical exercise instead of immersing yourself in studies all the time."

He smiled lazily at her. "Are you planning to join me in the medical department, Doctor Aihara?"

She flushed. "Not exactly."

He sat up straight and leaned her direction. "What is it, then?"

"Oh," her eyes dropped, "I was more thinking about something like a health coach, maybe for good eating and exercise habits. And considering all my accidents, maybe a few courses on first aid or rehabilitation."

"Hmm." Naoki considered her words. "That's kind of a cross between physical education and medicine." He grinned. "We might see each other in the halls after all."

"Well, it's just an idea."


	4. Chapter 4

"I think it's a great idea," Jinko averred the next day.

"Really?" Satomi appeared skeptical. "That part about nutrition...is Kotoko going to have to actually cook?"

"Yikes! I hadn't thought of that."

By her wide eyes, neither had Kotoko. Naoki tried to assure her. "I'm certain that the course is based on the benefits of each food, such as vitamins and calories."

"Oh, my," Matsumoto inserted silkily, "can I assume by this that _Kotoko-chan_ is not adept in the kitchen?" She gave a short laugh. "Judging by those glowers from your friends, I see I am correct. My mother," she turned to Naoki and placed a hand on his forearm, "saw to it that I was instructed in all the skills required for a well-rounded Japanese woman. Unlike others!" she sniffed.

Kotoko saw red. "Don't say anything about my mother! I'm going to let you know—"

"Yuko-san!" A shout from way too close halted her explanation and caused all to either wince or cover their ears.

"Sei-san?" she replied. "I see that you are taking my advice."

"Advice?! I should say so. And I must let you know that I am highly disappointed in the fact that you had already located Irie and not let me know about it!"

"Irie?" She pointed to the confused Naoki. "You were looking for him also? And what do you mean? You refused to tell me his name! Claiming that he was way too intelligent for me to know," she added with malice.

"Told you they were both looking for you!" Kotoko crowed, momentarily forgetting her ire.

"And we agreed that the odds were against it." He nodded at the newcomer. "And you are…?"

"Funatsu Seiichi!" He stood at attention. "Don't tell me that you don't recall that name?"

"I'm afraid not." Naoki shook his head.

"You are freaking kidding me!" His formal pose disintegrated as he bent and waved a finger mere centimeters from Naoki's nose. "The NAAA test and the PISA test and the Center test! You were always number one and my name was right below yours. Every! Single! Time!"

"So you're really smart, too?" Kotoko smiled at him.

His eyes speared her. "Of course I am!" he roared. "But this—this—this _person_ continues to humiliate me."

"I believe at the moment you are the one humiliating yourself," Naoki commented drily.

"Really, Sei-san!" Matsumoto hissed. "It is not Irie-kun's fault if he surpasses you."

"Yes," Kotoko joined in, "and honestly, being second place to Naoki is pretty high up."

"Not high enough for me!" he yowled. "I followed you to this second-rate college so I could compete with you in person. Where have you been hiding? I have not been able to locate you in the business department."

Naoki gave a half smile. "That's because I'm in the _medical_ department."

"Wha-a-a-at!?" He fell to his knees and clutched his hair. "As the heir of Pandai I would have sworn that you would major in business."

"Your information is out of date; I am not the heir of Pandai."

"Yeah, his kid brother is," Jinko informed him pugnaciously.

"Brother?" Funatsu rotated, meeting each person's eyes in turn, as if seeking enlightenment.

Instead, he found more chaos. "Hey! What's all the ruckus over here?" Kinnosuke stomped to their table. "Might've known you'd be in the middle of it, Irie," he accused, sneering.

"Not me this time." Naoki jerked his head towards the one having a meltdown.

"Friend of yours, huh? Hey, jerkface!" Kinnosuke grabbed Funatsu by a shoulder. "Stop with all the caterwauling in the cafeteria. You're gonna interfere with people's digestion or something."

The student shook off his hand. "Irie! I will challenge you directly!"

"Is he talking about a duel?" Sonada was concerned for his classmate.

Naoki shrugged. "I don't know, and I'm not particularly interested."

Funatsu cackled maniacally. "You will be! Look for me in the medical department as soon as I can arrange a transfer!"

"Sei-san—?" Matsumoto stood and took his arm in concern. "Don't you think you're going a little overboard?"

"Medicine is more of a calling, you know," Naoki said sternly.

"You should not make a joke of it," Sonada added.

"It will be no joke!" He howled, "I will surpass you and become the best doctor in Tokyo!"

"Well," Kotoko said practically, "the country can always use good doctors."

" _Good!_? I will be nothing so paltry. The word you are looking for is 'superlative'. No longer will I be called 'Second-Place Funatsu'!" He exited in a rush, supposedly for the administrative offices to inquire about changing majors.

"Who was that disturbed person?" Aoki asked.

"'Second-Place Funatsu', I presume," Naoki replied. "That has a certain...ring to it."

"This is no time for your nasty side to emerge," Kotoko chided. "I sort of feel pity for him."

"Watch your tongue!" Matsumoto spat out. "Irie-kun doesn't have a nasty side."

Satomi shook her head. "You really don't know him, do you, sister?"

Before the other girl could snap back, another contestant entered the arena. "Ah, Matsumoto-san!" Sudo boomed out. "Here to help me argue my case?"

A panicked look in her eye, she quickly grabbed her things. "No, I have...something to do!" she managed to say before scurrying out in Funatsu's wake.

Naoki's eyes narrowed as he considered her haste and the remark which preceded it, but he had little time to contemplate the meaning.

"Irie!" Sudo approached the table. "I'm serious now!" He got on his knees. "With the graduation of some of our best players, the tennis team is in a bind. There must be _something_ that will convince you to join us."

"I told you, I'm in medical school."

"So! Physician, heal thyself! You've got to stay in good shape in order to set an example for your patients."

"I don't think I'm in any danger—" He broke off when Kotoko kicked him under the table. He looked at her inquiringly.

"You know," she whispered, "he _does_ make a good point. At least you won't have to take up another form of exercise."

Naoki sighed. "Sempai, I'll talk about it with you on the way to my next class. But I warn you, I drive a hard bargain."

Sudo leaped to his feet and pounded the air with his fist. "I knew you'd see the light. Now, man, I'm planning to use you as both a solo and doubles player…"

Kotoko received a 'you're going to pay for this' glare from her boyfriend as they departed the building, while Sonada sat and fidgeted as if he did not know whether to leave or not. Satomi smiled and told him he was welcome to stay and finish his meal 'now that the crazies have left'.

"Y'know, Kotoko," Kinnosuke leaned on the table, tapping a ladle against his leg, "ever since you took up with Irie you've been hangin' out with a bunch of weirdos."

"Except for that one," Satomi sighed.

* * *

Sudo had a swagger in his step a quarter of an hour later. That was quite a coup, getting Irie signed on to the team. The captain was going to be proud of his recruitment of both him and Matsumoto. However, his eyes narrowed in cunning thought, the girl's motives for encouraging him ran counter to his own desires. Now, how to keep Irie out of range of her?

* * *

"Pardon me, ladies," he bowed to the two girls enjoying the sunshine outside the Literature building.

"Urgh, Satomi, it's that creepy tennis guy!" Jinko elbowed her friend.

"I see." Satomi eyed him up and down. When he did not disappear, she sighed and asked, "What can we do for you?"

Sudo cleared his throat. "Ahem! I would like to see if you have an interest in playing tennis during your college career."

"Nope." Satomi smiled as if to say, 'Now, go away.'

"Really?" He did not take the hint and sat down next to her. "Even though your boyfriend is joining the team and is, I might add, under danger of being snatched away?"

"My boyfriend?" Satomi looked at Jinko then back to the interloper. "You think I'm Irie-kun's girlfriend?"

Sudo smiled. "I knew as soon as I saw you. Irie would only choose the most beautiful woman."

While Jinko began wheezing, Satomi blinked. "Thank you for the compliment; however, I am not the person you are looking for."

"You mean—?" He pointed at Jinko. "No, I can't believe that."

"Watch your mouth, buster!" The shorter girl threatened him with a fist.

"Then, who—?"

Satomi nodded at someone behind him. "She's Irie-kun's girl."

Whirling around, Sudo stared at the petite young woman approaching. "That one? I never would've guessed."

"Guessed what?" Kotoko asked. "Oh, did you convince Naoki to join the team? I've been telling him that he can't just concentrate on brain activities and studying. He must have some exercise." She waved a pamphlet at her friends. "See, that's what it says in the Health and Nutrition program guide. And Naoki was right about the cooking part, so you don't need to worry."

"Health and nutrition? Cooking? I'm glad to meet you, Miss, ah…"

"Aihara. Aihara Kotoko," she added. "And, did you?"

"Did I—oh, yes, Irie joined the team. But why don't we discuss what you could do to assist him, and the tennis team as well?"

"Me?" She was flattered. "You think I could help out?"

"Just give me a few minutes of your time."

Satomi and Jinko shook their heads as he walked away with their friend. "You didn't even try to stop her," Jinko accused the other, pounding her shoulder.

"I didn't think I should," she answered, absently rubbing the spot that was hit. "I believe that Matsumoto witch is after Irie-kun."

Jinko snorted. "Anyone with eyes could see that!"

"And Mr. Sleazeball is after Ms. Tall, Dark and Flashy."

"So, why would he want Irie-kun on the team, then? That skank'll be on him like stink on shit."

"Who wouldn't want a champion-level player on their team? I believe he's planning to use Kotoko to run interference. Even if Irie-kun was tempted to cheat—not that I'm saying he would be—he sure won't do it with his girlfriend right there."

"Gee, Satomi," Jinko gazed at her in admiration, "that's a plot worthy of a miniseries."

* * *

"What in the hell were you thinking?"

"Naoki? What's wrong?" Kotoko jumped at the greeting. "I'm sorry I'm late. I stopped by to pick up those summer clothes you asked me to bring."

"And told Mother that you had joined the tennis club?"

"Wow. Obasama sure got on the phone quickly." Kotoko began to rearrange Naoki's drawers to fit the lighter shirts. "And I didn't join the tennis team, exactly. I can't play worth a darn."

"Then why was she fussing that you wouldn't go shopping for uniforms?"

"Pfft! You know your mother, Naoki! Any reason to spend money. But I'm not joining as a player. Sudo-sempai said that I could do first aid and advise you guys on proper diet and such."

His eyes narrowed. "That sounds amazingly like your new course of study. How did he find out about it?"

"I think he overheard me telling Satomi and Jinko that I won't have to do any cooking for my degree."

"Well, that's one hurdle you won't have to jump," he muttered.

"I heard that!"

"At least you won't have to do that sadist's physical conditioning."

"Oh, but he said that I should join in so that I would understand what training for the sport involves."

"You didn't!" he moaned.

"Why? Sudo-sempai is very nice. Plus, you will be there, so we can spend some extra time together."

"Not exactly. Actually, you've cut _down_ on our time."

"How do you mean?"

Naoki rubbed his eyes. "I didn't want to spend long hours at practice. I struck a bargain with him that, except for a few mandatory sessions, I would show up only when I wanted in exchange for participating in all tournaments."

"Aargh!"

"I agree," he said humorlessly. "I can't believe the bastard had a hidden strategy that neutralized mine."

* * *

A/N: Let us assume (for the sake of the story) that changing majors in Japanese universities is as uncomplicated as it is in the United States.


	5. Chapter 5

Kotoko stood at the sidewalk intersection, peering this way and that. She had fallen asleep in the library while waiting for the first tennis club meeting. When a scolding text from Naoki had awakened her, she had scurried out before she was entirely alert, and his detailed directions had fled her mind completely.

 _I'd almost welcome Kin-chan to help guide me,_ she thought to herself. However, this late in the afternoon he would have already traveled to her father's restaurant. "Okay, I know I'm in the club complex," she muttered. That fact was obvious with the various banners and window-sized posters. "Well," she squared her shoulders, "I'll just have to ask someone." She stepped forward and knocked on the nearest door.

"Yeah?" An unkempt young man opened it, a half-eaten french fry dangling from his mouth. When he caught sight of Kotoko, he let out a choking sound, and the potato was propelled towards her head. As she ducked, she slipped on the welcome mat and collided with the man, knocking him inwards.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm just perinatally clumsy!" she exclaimed.

"'Perinat'—Kotoko-chan, is that you?"

She looked up. "Aoki-chan? What are you doing here?"

He reached out a hand and grinned as he assisted her to her feet. "This is the Anime Appreciation Club room. So, let me turn around and ask the same to you."

"The same—?" She stopped straightening her clothes to stare at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I got lost on the way to the tennis courts, and I thought I'd ask someone, and look—I found _you!_ " She clasped hands in front of her and almost bounced.

"Aoki," his friends gathered behind him, "you can _talk_ with her?"

"Sure I can," he scoffed. "We have English class together."

"Eh," a tall one with long hair rubbed the back of his neck, "we have classes with wo-wo-women too, but we haven't been able to get a syllable out."

"Well, Kotoko is a little special…"

"English class?" A chubby person tugged on his shirt. "The same class as Matsumatorre?"

"Matsu—? Oh, Matsumoto-san!" Kotoko realized that the walls were covered in drawings of the long-haired beauty in various stages of undress. She shook her head. "She is _SO_ not going to appreciate those!"

"Well, they are preliminary sketches for our movie," Aoki informed her. "Although, it's not coming together well."

"Yeah!" someone in the corner piped up. "Her looks don't match the personality of our character."

She craned her neck to get a closer look at the speaker, and he almost ducked under the desk to avoid her gaze. "What personality is your character?"

"Ah, a heroine." Aoki chuckled. "The guys think she looks more like a villainess."

Kotoko frowned. "I wouldn't necessarily go that far, but—hey, you got me off-track!" She smacked his chest playfully. "Do you know where the tennis courts are?"

"Sure," he said. "They're fairly easy to find, but since you already got lost once, I'll escort you there."

He closed the door behind them while she was still scolding him that she did ' _not_ have a bad sense of direction.'

After a good ten seconds staring at the chipped paint, the remainder of the club regained their senses.

"Her simple purity—!"

"Girl-next-door looks—!"

"Guys," one of them said firmly, "we have _found_ our star!"

* * *

Once Aoki was certain that Kotoko was on the right track (he actually walked with her until they could see the tall fence surrounding the courts), he retraced his steps and almost stumbled into the rest of his club.

"What the hell—?!"

"She's the one!"

"We need to take reference photos!"

"Plus, if we include sports, we'll get the interest of the jocks!"

"Wait a minute—are you saying that you want to feature my friend in the anime?"

"Yes! She will be much better than the other!"

"You can't just go using someone's image without their knowledge!"

"Did you ask Matsumatorre?" one cannily inquired.

His gaze dropped. "No. Frankly," he admitted, "she scares me. Besides she's not the type to even notice guys like us. She probably wouldn't recognize me if we met on the street, and we sit within ten meters of each other four hours a week." He frowned. "Longer if you count lunches."

"And your point is...?"

"Kotoko is my friend. You can't do this, Kato."

"We outnumber you, Aoki," the tall leader replied. "So just...go back to the club room and wait for us."

As the remainder of the membership shuffled past him, Aoki rubbed his forehead. "Plausible deniability. Yes, that'll work. I hope."

* * *

"Oof!" Naoki grunted when his girlfriend barreled into him.

"Sorry!" she apologized with a laugh. "I got lost and tried to make up time by taking that corner too quickly."

"It's okay," he said, patting her head. "The entertainment portion of the event hasn't concluded."

"Huh?" She turned to the court. On one side of the net a student frantically rushed from one sideline to the other, chasing balls hit by his savagely growling opponent. "Wow, I sure am glad that I'm not trying out for the team," she admitted. "Who is that crazy guy, anyway?"

"You don't recognize him?" Matsumoto approached, a gleam in her eye.

"Uh, no. Say," she looked around, "where is that nice sempai who recruited me?"

"Sudo-san!" the other girl called. "Here's a late-arriving applicant!"

"What?" Kotoko asked in confusion as she was propelled onto the court.

Matsumoto shoved a racquet into her hands. "This is an exclusive model. Don't break it!"

"But I don't know how to play tennis!" she wailed, holding it awkwardly.

"That's all right! I'll be teaching you!" Fire gleamed in the eyes of the man facing her.

Now that she was closer, he looked slightly familiar, albeit in a twisted sort of way. "Sudo-sempai?" she queried. "Do you remember me?"

"The question is: will you remember what I teach?" he snarled. "Heads up!"

A ball sped towards her at an alarming rate. "Hey!" she squawked, jumping to the side. "I didn't sign up for this!"

"Tennis is not a game for slackers!" His lip curled. "Try to hit this one!"

Instead the ball smashed into her thigh. "Ow!" Kotoko yowled. "I'm supposed to be fixing up injuries, not accusing them!"

"'Accruing' them," Naoki muttered as he made his way to the court in time to block the next ball with his racquet.

"Irie!" the maniac bellowed. "What're you doing, interfering in a legitimate tryout?!"

"She's not here for the team!" he yelled back as the balls kept coming.

"Oh, you want to show me your doubles skill, then?" he continued as if the other had not spoken. "I'll be happy to indulge you."

"Dammit!" Naoki shoved Kotoko behind him.

His return hit Sudo where it counted most. The assistant captain collapsed onto the clay, grasping his groin, his racquet rattling beside him before lying still.

"Captain Aijima," Naoki called to a chuckling senior, "why do you allow this lunatic free rein?"

The other shrugged. "He gets good results. So if the young lady is not trying out for the team, why is she here?"

Once Sudo regained his senses, he confirmed Naoki's explanation—omitting, of course, his secret intentions.

Kotoko, still hiding behind Naoki, declared, "You seemed so different last week!"

"He's another person entirely with a tennis racquet in his hands," the captain explained.

She pinched her boyfriend. "That's why you called him Sudo-the-Demon! Why didn't you warn me?"

"I didn't think it would come to this," Naoki pulled her to his side.

"Yeah, uh, sorry." Sudo bowed in apology.

Matsumoto, not enjoying the sight in front of her one whit, marched up and snatched her racquet from Kotoko and examined it carefully.

"It's in the same condition," Naoki informed her drily. "It's not as if she had the chance to use it. And don't try a dirty trick like that again," he added in a lower tone.

She sniffed. "I don't know what you mean!"

"Well," Sudo regained his cockiness, "news of my methods must have spread throughout the college."

"Why do you think that?" Naoki asked.

"We have photographers paying close attention to our activities," he declared with pride. "Although," he scratched his head, "I don't know why they're hiding in the bushes like that."


	6. Chapter 6

"You haven't been harassed any more by that tennis bully, have you, Kotoko-chan?" Mrs. Irie had been appalled when Kotoko had limped home the first day, the bruise from the tennis ball beginning to blare forth against her pale skin.

"No, Obasama," she replied. "It's just that the physical conditioning is so intert."

"Intense," Yuuki corrected.

"What he said," she sighed, not having the energy to argue with him.

"For the life of me, I still cannot understand why you must go through that agony," the older woman huffed.

"It was a reasonable request," Yuuki put in. "If Onee-chan is planning to take care of their aches and pains, she has to be aware of what is going on with them. Body-wise," he added with a shrug, "since I don't have Onii-chan's medical vocabulary."

Kotoko smiled her gratitude at his explanation as she stretched out a calf muscle.

Then Mrs. Irie piped up again, "Well, at least Onii-chan is there to keep you from overdoing it!"

"Not usually." Kotoko had tried to keep this from his mother but knew time had run out. "It's not as if he needs to be there every practice to keep his skills sharp. Plus, he has had some lab sessions to attend in the medical building."

"What?!" she squawked. "I thought joining the tennis team—I know, I know, dear, you really aren't a part of the team—was to give you more kissy-huggy time together."

While Yuuki pretended to gag over his mother's vocabulary, Kotoko tried to administer damage control and only made the situation worse. "Well, it's not as if I want him there"—Mrs. Irie gasped in horror—"since there's some girl who thinks she can move right in and take my place as his girlfriend."

"Competition?! Say it isn't so, Kotoko-chan! Do tell all!" she added, stooping down and placing an arm over the girl's shoulders.

Regretting that she had opened her mouth, Kotoko went ahead and told the story of Matsumoto's machinations and Sudo's cross plot.

"Hmm." The matron's forehead creased in thought, a hand on her temple. "This is a conundrum. On the one hand, you and Onii-chan have less time together. On the other hand, it puts him out of reach of that grasping vixen. But on another hand, you're so adorable I cannot be certain that tennis coach won't develop a tendre for you as well; you know that young men often pick upon the objects of their affection. On yet another hand, I don't trust that young chef as far as I can throw him; he could still be a danger." She gave a sharp nod and rose to leave the room. "I must ponder this some more."

The silence after her departure was broken by Kotoko. "Yuuki-kun, how many hands does your mother have?"

* * *

"What a...unique fashion statement," Matsumoto drawled upon seeing Kotoko's attire.

"You like it?" Kotoko proudly held out the hem of the brightly colored pinny.

She raised an eyebrow. "But of course." It wasn't exactly a lie, since it made the shorter girl look ridiculous. _Surely Irie-kun can see the contrast between us now,_ she thought smugly.

"A friend of mine made it for me," Kotoko had continued to chatter. A large red 'No' symbol [circle with diagonal slash] was superimposed over a tennis racquet graphic.

"And what does your," her lip curled in distaste, " _boyfriend_ think?"

"That it was a kind gesture," Naoki said from behind her, causing her to jump. "Especially since it was in response to my complaints that she was being harassed." Sudo apparently had selective amnesia and several times had attempted to engage Kotoko on the court again. She had become adept at finding hiding places around the athletic complex when that happened.

Kotoko dropped the fabric and took his arm. "Satomi made several of them for me, all different."

He grinned down at her. "I believe my favorite is 'Back off, Scuzzbucket'."

Matsumoto scowled at their closeness and cheerful manner and marched off to torture a different teammate/victim with killer aces in practice.

* * *

"Ow! Ow! A little farther down...ah! Right there!" Kotoko sighed when Naoki's fingers dug deep into the back of her thigh. "I knew I should have stretched a little longer today," she admitted.

"Why didn't you?" He had not attended practice, his contagious diseases class having had the opportunity to tour the hospital's lab in the afternoon.

"I was a little late." She breathed through yet another deep dig into her muscles. "I ran into Aoki-chan on the way. He seemed to want to tell me something but ended up just saying that he hoped I wasn't too bothered at tennis practice." Propping herself on one elbow, she turned to look at Naoki. "Do you have any idea what that would mean?"

When he shook his head, she lay back down and continued to enjoy his ministrations.

* * *

"Mom, I thought you had decided to reform."

"Hush, Yuuki-kun!" Mrs. Irie lowered her concealing sunglasses to glance quickly about them. "Circumstances have forced me into action once more."

"But why do I have to accompany you?" he whined.

She turned and straightened his tie. "Just walk along and act like a genius prodigy looking over the campus, dear."

"I'm camouflage, I see." As he adjusted the backpack full of camera equipment he muttered, "And a pack mule!"

* * *

"There you go, Kosaka-san!" Kotoko patted the wrapped ankle of one of the male tennis players.

"Thanks, Aihara." He grinned at her. "Any time you want to leave that stone-faced Irie, just let me know."

"You big tease!" She flushed at his flirtation. "I know if I did that, you'd run for cover."

"You're probably right," he laughed as his eyes zoomed in on the person approaching. Standing a little straighter, he greeted her. "Good afternoon, Matsumoto-san. And how are you today?"

Ignoring the lower-level player, she spoke to Kotoko. "What do you think you are doing?"

"My job," she answered calmly, "or rather, what my job is supposed to be." She eyed the girl with caution; she suspected that she encouraged racquet-carrying Sudo in his delusion that she was a member of the team. "Would you like me to wrap your wrist?" she offered, adding a little mischievously, "Naoki said that your backhand appeared a little weaker than normal the other day."

"There's nothing wrong with my backhand!" she snapped. "When are you going to—Oh," she became all smiles, "hello, Irie-kun." She patted her perfect hair.

Kotoko curled her lip and turned to her boyfriend. "I thought you weren't coming today."

"Iwaya passed out when we were observing an autopsy, breaking a vial of noxious liquid on his way to the floor, so we were let out early."

"You're all right, aren't you, Irie-kun?" Matsumoto asked anxiously, a hand fluttering to rest on his bicep.

He managed not to laugh at Kotoko's eye roll. "Since I'm standing right here, I suppose I am."

"I should take advantage of your presence and request your assistance." She fluttered her eyelashes. "I feel like my backhand has been a little off the past few days. Do you think you could look at it and give me some advice? Oh! and maybe a practice match afterwards?"

"Sure," he agreed nonchalantly. "You grab us a court while I change."

"Will do!" she trilled and walked away with exaggerated hip motion.

Naoki laughed when Kotoko stuck out her tongue. "What's she done now?"

"Same old, same old," she grumbled. "I think her weakest body part is her brain. I wonder how I could wrap _that_?"

* * *

Kotoko's head raised at a rap on her bedroom door. Mrs. Irie usually called after knocking, Mr. Aihara was at the restaurant, and Mr. Irie never disturbed her studies. "Yuuki-kun?"

He stuck his head in. "Got a minute, Onee-chan?"

"Sure, as many as you need." She moved from her desk to sit on the bed and patted the spot next to her. "What is it?"

"I don't know exactly how to tell you this, but," he took a deep breath, "Mom is up to her old stalking tricks."

"Really?" Her eyebrows rose. "What brought this on?"

"She doesn't quite trust that girl who's after Onii-chan or the tennis coach either. And when she saw that other guy flirting with you…" he shook his head.

"What other guy?" she asked.

"The one whose ankle you wrapped. With the bleached hair," he added when she still looked confused.

"Oh, Kosaka-san!" she exclaimed. "But I was just helping him get ready for practice. Hey! How do you know so much about it?"

"Because Mom dragged me along as an accessory," he grumbled.

"Like a handbag?" she asked.

"No," he barked a laugh, "like someone else to blame when she gets caught. And if she's not careful, that won't take long." Sure enough, at one point during surveillance he had found himself in the unusual circumstance of having to muffle his mother's protests with a hand over her mouth.

"Don't worry," she kissed his cheek lightly, "I won't hold it against you."

"Yeah, but, Kotoko…"

"Um-hm?" Kotoko's mind was already trying to figure out how to break the news to her boyfriend about his mother's activities.

"There were some other guys with cameras too. Hiding a little better than we were," he added with a scowl. "Mom didn't even notice them. They seemed to be focusing on you as well."

"That must've been the anime club," she informed him.

"Wait—you know about it?"

"Yes. Apparently I'm going to be a movie star."

* * *

"Why are you apologizing, Aoki-chan?" she asked her bowing friend.

"I promise, I never went along with them, but I felt so bad about it!" His voice expressed misery.

"Okay. Slow down and start from the beginning."

"You remember those sketches I made of Matsumoto-san?" When she nodded, he held out a piece of paper wordlessly.

She took it and gasped, "That's _me?!_ "

"Yes. They were so impressed by you when you were lost that day that they decided to rewrite the plot and make you the heroine. They have been photographing you at tennis practice for sure, but they may have followed you around other places."

"Huh." Then she chuckled. "Sudo-sempai thought they were going to feature an article about his amazing coaching skills. Boy, was he mistaken."

"Yeah, well, he's included too. As one of the villains."

"One of the—Wait, has Matsumoto been demoted that far?" She rubbed her hands in glee. "What I wouldn't give to see her face when she finds out! But why are you telling me now?"

He lowered his head. "I'd like to think we are friends, Kotoko-chan. And friends shouldn't keep things like this in the dark, allowing them to be exploited."

"It's just a cartoon of me," she pointed out.

"Um, remember the costume I drew Matsumoto in?"

"The skimpy one?"

"You're wearing it for most of the movie. And the majority of it gets blasted off in battle towards the end."

Kotoko stared into space. "I see why you were hesitant." She shuddered and focused her eyes on him. "I don't have to wear it, do I?"

"No, no!" He waved his hands at her in consternation. "It's just their imagination. Although," he thought, "a couple of them might ask—if, that is, they could bring themselves to speak to you."

"Why?" she grinned, "Am I that scary?"

"No, it's just that they are a little clumsy around women. I'm considered quite the ladies' man just for having the courage to sit with you both in class and at lunch."

Kotoko snorted. "I don't think it's me that you're sitting with during lunch."

Aoki blushed. "Kimura-san is cute and kind, isn't she?"

Kotoko thought of Jinko's bullying ways towards her younger siblings and her constant moaning about being single. "Why don't you tell her that?"

"Uh, I said the guys called me a ladies' man, not that I was!"

* * *

"Space aliens and Kpop stars." Yuuki shook his head. "What is this family turning into?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Irie-san, you approved this for Aihara?" Sonada was flabbergasted when he heard the news.

Naoki shrugged. "It's her decision. Besides, she is simply allowing her image to be used."

"But still—! Your girlfriend—!"

"It's not as if they're married!" Satomi snapped. "And even then, _she_ is the one to say 'yea' or 'nay'. Hand that over." She plucked the club's latest character drawing from his acquiescent fingers.

Naoki snorted. If Satomi couldn't see that the medical student's blushes and willingness to please were because he was besotted with her, all the better for his friend at Waseda University.

"Hmm." She tapped the drawing after tilting it this way and that. "If you wanted to cosplay, Kotoko, I could make this fairly easily."

"Not on your life!" Kotoko's refusal drowned out Aoki's denial. "I am _not_ wearing that! Why, it's even more revealing than my swimsuit!"

"Tell you what, Satomi-san," Naoki leaned across the table with a grin, "what would it cost to make one up for a... _private_ viewing."

"Na-o-ki!" His girlfriend's voice rose with each syllable as, next to her, Jinko fought to keep from rolling off the bench in laughter.

"I'll charge you the family price," Satomi replied with a wink.

"Yo! What's all this noise?" Kinnosuke clattered over, only to shriek even louder than any of them when he caught sight of the drawing. "Kotoko!" he hollered. "What in the hell is this? Irie," he pointed a finger, "I can't believe that you're lettin' your girlfriend get into pornography! Why, if I'd known this was what you'd be like, I'd never have let her go!"

"I wasn't yours to let go," Kotoko reminded him.

"And it's not pornography, it's art," Jinko averred.

"Thank you, Kimori-san," Aoki said with a gratified look. "I'm glad you appreciate it as such. Too many people—"

"You pervert!" Kinnosuke was almost foaming at the mouth. "It don't matter what you call it—it's still nasty! You ain't gonna do this, Kotoko!"

"You have—" Naoki began, only to be interrupted.

"What has you upset, Irie-kun?" Matsumoto had been running late, due to receiving congratulations from a professor on a research paper. "Oh, my!" She caught sight of the drawing.

"See? Even the snooty broad thinks it's inapportunate!" Kinnosuke chided Kotoko.

"'Inappropriate'," she corrected him, to Naoki's pride, "and you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do."

"Does that also apply to your boyfriend?" Matsumoto inquired slyly.

"Even him!" Kotoko gave a sharp nod in agreement.

"Well," the other girl laughed lightly as she placed a familiar hand on Naoki's shoulder, "see where you rank in importance with her. I can assure you that _I_ would never consider doing something which you might disagree with."

"Lookie there, Kotoko," Kinnosuke interposed righteously, "that's the kinda attitude you oughta take."

"Ikky…" Satomi shook her head—no use trying.

"Excuse me." Aoki stood. "No one has asked her to actually wear the costume. It's all going to be animated."

"Yeah," Jinko added, "you know, like with drawings." She huffed, "Not that Kin-chan has enough brains to know the difference!"

"At least he has the wisdom to see that this...situation could expose her to ridicule. And, by association, anyone close to her," Matsumoto proclaimed.

Kotoko narrowed her eyes on the girl. "Are you saying that this would be bad for Naoki's reputation?"

The taller girl shrugged. "It is within the realm of possibility. A doctor's name must be above reproach."

Naoki stood, shaking off her hand. "Enough of this. It is Kotoko's decision, and based upon the art work I've seen so far, the only way it will affect my reputation is to enhance it."

"Enhance it?"

"I'll have a celebrity girlfriend. Of course, I may have to deal with a bit of jealousy from the other students." He winked at Kotoko then turned to his classmate. "Sonada, stop mooning over Satomi-san or you'll be late to class."

After the two left, Satomi sat with her mouth open. "Did Irie-kun just imply—?"

"I think so," Jinko said. "Wow, now you have to choose between a doctor and a lawyer."

"I am _so_ going to warn Watanabe-kun!" Kotoko said.

"Wait a minute," Matsumoto tried not to pass out in shock, "are you telling me that Class F girl has _two_ high-quality men after her?"

Jinko scowled at her. "What of it? Jealous because you don't have any?" She slumped down. "Of course, who would've ever thought that you and me'd be in the same boat about something?"

Aoki gathered up his bravery in the face of Kotoko and Satomi staring at him sternly. "Not at all, Kimori-san. Uh, could I maybe talk to you in private?"

"Aarrggh!" Matsumoto spun around and stalked towards the door. Unfortunately, her path led through an area recently mopped by Kinnosuke and she slipped and slid, waving her arms around until she ran into him, slamming him into the floor so that he cushioned her fall.

"Dammit, woman!" he yelled when he got his breath back and eyes uncrossed. "I warned ya about makin' scenes in the cafeteria. Now see where it got ya!"

* * *

"Have you restocked the first aid box for the trip?" Naoki asked before he and Kotoko left for the bus.

"Yes, Captain Aijima let me purchase some new supplies online," she replied. Nodding wisely, she added, "It saves money that way."

"That's a good thing." He sighed, "You may be using it even more at the retreat. Imagine Sudo's grueling pace all day long instead of just a couple hours."

Kotoko grimaced. "Even _that_ probably won't convince Matsumoto to let me help her."

Indeed she had harshly refused any assistance after her cafeteria spill and had withdrawn as quickly as one broken shoe heel permitted. Kinnosuke, on the other hand, found all sorts of injuries to hold Kotoko's attention until Jinko and Satomi derided him as a malingerer.

"She is quite intelligent. I'm sure she will relax her stance if the situation becomes dire." He then grumbled, "Now here's _two_ weeks of the summer break wasted. It's too bad this mandatory retreat isn't the same week as Mom's promised vacation. I have no good feelings about _that_."

She patted his arm. "I'm sure you'll be able to find some time alone to study all by yourself."

* * *

The bus trip to Tonan's remote recreational compound went by pleasantly enough, as long as Kotoko ignored the glares sent her way from Matsumoto whenever she looked up from a first aid video lecture on her phone. She simply replied with a falsely bright smile and made sure her earbuds were firmly in place. Naoki himself was engrossed in an online medical journal and missed all of the other girl's hints for conversation.

Sudo met the bus when it reached its destination and distributed a team schedule to each person as they disembarked. When Kotoko stretched out her hand, he shook his head. "Not you, Aihara! I've got a special one for you, since you're not an official member of the squad. I'll catch up with you later. Now, move along!"

"I wonder what that's all about," she said to Naoki.

"I'm not sure," he replied absently as he read the paper with a frown, "but at least he finally knows you're not supposed to be playing."

* * *

"You want me to do _what?!_ " If the lodge had not been immaculately clean, Kotoko's screech would have knocked spider webs off the ceilings.

"It's not as if first aid is going to be a full time job, is it?" Sudo pointed out with an ingratiating grin. "So I thought that designating you as cook would save the club some dinero."

"And what made you think I'd be willing to do this?" She set both hands on hips and gave him her most fierce stare.

"Would you rather hitchhike back to town? And leave your boyfriend at the mercy of Yuko-chan?" he asked.

"You want me here to act as buffer, so don't think that argument will hold water." Kotoko was firm.

"Well, there is that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think that far ahead. Anyway, we don't have a cook and you're majoring in nutrition, so you're the best one for the job. You don't have to worry about lunch," he assured her. "Since you just got here I ordered some pre-made sandwiches. But I duplicated the grocery list from last year's retreat, so the kitchen is all stocked and waiting for your talent to transform the raw ingredients into dinner this evening."

"But—"

"Sorry, I've got to run!" He patted her shoulder in a firm encouraging manner. "You'll do great!"

"Transform?" Kotoko looked around at the stainless steel appliances. "Darn. I forgot to pack my magic wand."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Kotoko," Naoki said with regret. "Sudo has me booked up with practices and even training some of the other first years."

"But you know best of all what my kitchen skills are!" she wailed.

"You mean what they _aren't_." He rubbed his stomach in remembrance of the time he had unwisely partaken of a certain dish. "Look," he grasped both shoulders, "make a list of the ingredients in the kitchen and then search out some simple recipes. You have improved in so many ways in the past year—why, who knows?—maybe your cooking has, too."

"Yeah, right," she muttered.

"Sorry, I'm supposed to be leading a set of suicides in five minutes." He kissed her quickly. "Just do your best."

"I only hope my 'best' doesn't poison every one."

"If it does, Sudo only has himself to blame!"


	8. Chapter 8

Kotoko walked around the complex, phone held high above her head. "How am I supposed to find recipes with no reception?" she complained. She climbed on top of a concrete bench, hoping that a few more centimeters would help, and surprised some intruders in the bushes below. "Aoki-chan?"

"Um, yes." He stood and brushed leaves off his clothes. "You remember Kato and Tanaka, don't you?"

She nodded. "Are you still taking reference photos?"

"Yes, Kotorin." The other two bowed jerkily. Since being anointed the 'heroine' of their movie, Kotoko had made an effort to get them to relax around her; unfortunately, they could only do so if they called her by the character name. "We need more action shots, and we were hoping to sneak some closeups of Sudo-san later."

"Cool! I heard you'd made him a villain, but you know you don't need to hide to take pictures of him."

Tanaka was wary. "Why?"

She giggled. "Remember—he thinks you are going to do an article praising his coaching style and is probably wondering why you haven't asked for an interview yet."

The anime club members gaped at her for a few seconds then doubled over in laughter at the idea. Recovering, Aoki asked, "By the way, what were _you_ doing, Kotoko-chan?"

"Oh," she looked at her screen disconsolately, "I can't get any reception and I need to find some recipes."

"Recipes?"

"Yes. That dam- _darn_ Sudo appointed me chef, and I'm not a very good cook."

"At least you have kitchen facilities in your area," Kato grumbled. "All we have is a hot plate, and that throws the breaker every time we use it."

"Yes, we've been having to drive to town for convenience food, and it's cutting into our budget something fierce."

"Say," Kotoko placed an index finger to her cheek, "do any of you guys know how to cook?"

"We can all do pretty basic stuff," Tanaka said.

"How about a little partnership then? You help me, and I'll help you!"

* * *

"Wow! What a feast!" The tennis team was not hesitant in expressing their delight at the evening meal.

After tasting each dish cautiously, even Naoki smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

Matsumoto was the only one who appeared dissatisfied. "I thought your culinary skills were considered subpar."

Kotoko uneasily grinned. "I guess I got better without knowing it."

Peering through a crack in the door between the kitchen and dining hall, Kato hissed, "See! She is perfect for the villain!"

"In all honesty," Aoki pointed out, "we _did_ do most of the work."

The club members, having been warned by Kotoko of her ability to burn water, restricted her to slicing and grating the vegetables, and that only after several minutes of close supervision. Once those tasks were completed, she was assigned to dishwashing duty. As it turned out, each member of the club had a particular cooking specialty, so the meal was quite well-rounded. Kotoko insisted that they fill their plates before she rang the bell for the tennis team, and as they ate they planned out menus for the next day.

She slipped back to the kitchen. "Thank you guys so much!" she squealed.

"Shh! Shh!" Aoki reminded her that this was to be kept secret.

"But did you hear what they were saying?" she continued in a lower voice. "You are the true champions."

"No, you are," Tanaka said with admiration. "We would have been starving by the end of the week without your idea."

"Plus," Kato put in, "with our photography project being misinterpreted, no one will question us hanging around."

* * *

All went well for the next few days, Naoki reporting to Kotoko the amusing double chase of Matsumoto after him and Sudo after her. Not getting any private time with his girlfriend had started to get on his nerves, so early one morning he decided to surprise her in the kitchen.

To his astonishment she greeted him with a guilty expression, surrounded by two men, one with a hand on her wrist correcting her grip on a knife and the other pointing to where she should be cutting a piece of fish. Aoki, loading the large capacity rice cooker against the far wall, turned and grinned. "Hello, Irie-san!"

Naoki stared at Kotoko, his mouth opening and closing, until his gaze met that of Kato, the one closest to his girlfriend.

"Ah!" Kato gasped, and he immediately stepped away from her, both hands raised in either innocence or surrender.

"Good morning, Naoki!" Kotoko trilled. "I usually don't see you this early."

"Um, yeah," he said in a strangled tone. "Would you like to explain," he waved a hand, "this?"

* * *

"So that's how you've managed to serve not only edible but palatable meals," he concluded thoughtfully. "Ow!" he exclaimed as she smacked him.

"Irie-san," Aoki began, "I want to assure you that we have not stolen any of the tennis club's food."

"Yes!" Kato put in, "we brought our own and combined it with yours."

"Stop acting like you have to apologize," Kotoko scolded him.

"Right," Naoki agreed. "Without your assistance, most of the tennis team would be in the hospital by now." He danced away from Kotoko's wrath only to freeze at a call outside the kitchen.

"Irie-kun!" Matsumoto's voice could be heard.

"Hide me!" he hissed.

"Okay!" Kotoko spun around. "Into the cabinets!" She pointed to the lower storage areas. "All of you! I can't let her find out that I can't cook! It would be too humanizing!"

"'Humiliating'," Naoki and Aoki corrected in tandem as they scrambled for adjoining doors.

Kotoko straightened and took a deep breath. Plastering a wide smile on her face, she greeted the girl who entered with eyes darting this way and that. "Hello, Matsumoto-san!"

"Hmph!" The other appeared grumpy. "Have you seen Irie-kun?"

"Um, not lately." Kotoko crossed fingers behind her back. "Did you have an early practice scheduled?"

"Ah, no." Suddenly realizing that she was talking to the girlfriend of the man she was pursuing, she explained, "It wasn't exactly a planned meeting. I thought about working on my baseline runs with him, but he wasn't in the men's dormitory or the shower building."

"You went on the men's side of the showers?" Kotoko goggled at her.

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I merely called at the door." She looked around the room at the various pans and bowls at different stations of the kitchen. "You have your work cut out for you, don't you?" She peered at the nearest container. "If you're planning on eggs for this crew, you'll need a lot more than that."

"Uh, you're right," she replied. Then, hearing a rattle in one of the cupboards, she thought quickly. "Is that Sudo-sempai outside? I bet he heard you calling for Naoki. Why don't you ask him to help you look for him?"

Matsumoto's eyes widened. "Hel-heck, no!" She made a beeline for the opposite door. "I was never here!"

After the echoes of the door slam died away, Aoki opened his cabinet quietly. "Kotoko-chan! Do we need to stay hidden from Sudo-san?"

"No," she replied. "I lied about hearing him. You guys can come out now."

"Kotorin!" Tanaka burst out of the broom closet, stumbling into Kato, who had been crammed in there with him." I told you that I was preparing French toast. Now she'll be expecting eggs!"

"Never mind!" She waved away the problem. "She'll just think I was air-headed as usual."

Naoki patted her head. "She is constantly underestimating you, isn't she? Now," he looked around at the others, "what can I do to help?"

* * *

As predicted, Matsumoto only made one half-hearted snipe at the (supposed) menu change. "This meal really contains too much sugar for a proper Japanese breakfast," she sniffed.

"There's plenty more fish if you'd prefer protein." Kotoko smiled as she slid the dish closer to her.

The beauty tossed her head. "It's not a problem for me. But you," she said silkily, a glint in her eye, "not practicing all day like the others, might end up with a weight problem. Don't you agree, Sudo-sempai, that she should exercise today?"

He swallowed a large mouthful and took a sip of water before banging the glass on the table. "Excellent idea, Yuko-chan!" he bellowed, not noticing her wince at the endearment. "We should make it rigorous enough for her by pairing up appropriately. How about a doubles match, you and me versus Irie and Aihara?"

"Ack!" was all Kotoko managed to verbalize.

"Sempai," Naoki said sternly, "don't you recall that Kotoko is not an actual member of the team?"

"Well, I'm sure she'd like a change of pace," he pronounced before turning to her, grinning with all teeth visible. "Wouldn't you?"

Kotoko shook her head wildly while Matsumoto pouted at the teams' components.

"But aren't you worried," Naoki leaned over the table with slight menace, "about a repeat performance of tryout day?"

Sudo blanched then quickly recovered. "Oh, I'm sure that was just a lucky hit."

"Unlucky for _you_!" The taunt came from farther down the table, along with several giggles.

He glared in that direction. "Who said that?!"

Naoki relaxed in his chair. "Probably someone who is planning on betting money on it happening again." He pulled out a five hundred yen bill and waved it. "Whoever's handling the wagers, I'm placing this on myself."

Spurred on by Naoki's confidence, other bets were called out, drowning Sudo's protests that all were against him. Finally Captain Aijima's voice rang out for silence. "No gambling," he smiled, "or at least not publicly and not on this match. I'm over-ruling your decision, Sudo," he fixed him with a stern look, "and cancelling your not-so-subtle plan to woo our lovely tennis ace. Aihara is kept quite busy with first aid and cooking, and the only one who has the right to complain about that is our—equally lovely, of course," (Naoki groaned) "male tennis ace."

There were a few grumbles as they dispersed for the morning, along with a long and heartfelt speech of gratitude from Kotoko to the captain.


	9. Chapter 9

"The only good thing about Mom's family vacation is that I don't have to deal with Sudo," Naoki complained as the Iries' rented van neared their destination.

"Mmm?" Kotoko raised her head from his shoulder. "At least the ride was scenic," she said drowsily.

"As if you watched any of it!" Yuuki scoffed from the seat beside her.

"I can't help it if your father is such a good driver," she shot back, aggravated when she saw that the younger boy had discarded pistachio shells in her lap. Luckily, that was his only mischief since Naoki had prevented him from either drawing on her or inserting pocky sticks in her mouth.

Mrs. Irie turned from the seat in front. "Here we are, children!" she chirped. "Romance Mountain Resort!"

"Romance—ugh!" Yuuki pretended to vomit and Kotoko took revenge by pounding him on the back.

"I agree with my brother," Naoki murmured to her. When she turned to frown at him, he added, "How 'romantic' a trip can it be with our folks around?"

Mr. Irie and Mr. Aihara opened the back and had just begun to pull out the luggage when a booming voice sounded near the entry. "Please allow me to assist you with those!"

As a familiar mustachioed figure approached, Naoki cursed. "Damn! And now it gets even worse."

* * *

"Be ransomable, Naoki," Kotoko tried to get her boyfriend into a better mood, "there's no way that Obasama could have known that this resort belonged to Sudo-sempai's family."

"And if she did," Yuuki pitched in, "she sure wouldn't've booked it. After all," he smirked, "she thinks that he has a 'thing' for you."

Kotoko reached over to pinch the boy for the remark. Naoki grabbed her hand. "What gives her that idea? Has he tried something?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "He can't see anyone but Matsumoto-san."

"Yeah, Mom thinks that he's picking on her because he likes her," Yuuki explained. "Man, I wouldn't even do that, and I'm only in grade school."

"Well, you're probably more mature than he is." By Naoki's dispirited tone, it did not appear that anything would cheer him up. "So," he looked around, "what are the sleeping arrangements?"

"You'll have to ask your mother."

As if on cue, Mrs. Irie stepped into the room. "Boys! What are you doing in the girls' room?"

"I suppose that answers my question," he muttered. "You mean four of us have to share a room while only two of you are? How is that fair?"

"Now, Onii-chan, they have no larger suites, since this is a small resort, designed for relaxation." She trilled out a laugh. "Surely, at your age, you don't want to sleep in the same room as your mother?"

"It's not _you_ I have a problem with," he retorted. "When I was sharing with Yuuki, he snored like a truck."

"Oh, dear," her hands fluttered, "it appears that he takes after his father."

"You mean, I've got to listen to them in stereo? _Plus_ Aihara-san?"

His mother winked at him. "Why else would I arrange it thusly? I thought I deserved a little 'vacation' from a noisy bed partner."

Naoki chuckled as she departed the room. "It won't be as quiet as she thinks."

"Why?" Yuuki and Kotoko asked in tandem.

"You," he tweaked her nose, "also make a little racket during the night."

* * *

Mrs. Irie had frowned upon first sighting Sudo at the inn. However, her suspicions were mollified when the only member of the party with whom he seemed interested in conversing was her older son.

It didn't hurt that he was called back to work by his irate aunt after exchanging just a few sentences. "Kou-kun! Stop flapping your jaws and get the guests' luggage to their room!"

"What is up with Sudo-sempai?" Kotoko asked Naoki at the end of the first day.

He laughed and flopped onto the couch next to her. "His manliness has been offended."

"Say, what?" she asked as he laid his head in her lap.

"He wants to have a solo rematch with me. You know, the one that the captain forbade?"

Her fingers, which had been combing through his hair, stilled. "That was a doubles match—including _me_ —wasn't it?"

"Yes." His eyes remained closed as he patted her hand to continue its work.

"Okay, so how will that work out, without Matsumoto-san as his partner?"

"He has decided not to include the female component in this particular challenge."

Kotoko let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness! But," she peered down at him, "are you going to play him?"

"Not interested," he replied drowsily. "I hope to get in some good study—"

Click! Flash! "Oh, what an adorable pose!" Mrs. Irie beamed as she checked the picture. "Of course, it would look so much more romantic in a pastoral setting, perhaps a wide plain with waving grasses and wildflowers."

The mood destroyed, Naoki sat up. "We're in the mountains, Ma. There are no wide plains for kilometers."

"Such a party-pooper you are!" His mother pouted then turned at the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

"Kou-kun! What are you doing lollygagging around the guest rooms? Get down to the kitchen and take out the garbage!"

"My," Mrs. Irie commented, "this place certainly does not live up to its assurance of 'peace and quiet'. Now, what set you two off?" she asked the giggling couple.

* * *

With Naoki continuing to refuse to meet him in 'battle' (despite several attempts involving juvenile baiting and name-calling), Sudo decided to attack on a different front. Kotoko, not interested in either fishing with the fathers or hiking with the boys ('I had enough trouble keeping up when we walked in the forest. If you two are climbing the mountain just to see a waterfall, you can do it without me!'), decided to sunbathe on the grassy slope behind the hotel while Mrs. Irie took an early afternoon nap.

"Eek!" Kotoko opened her eyes when a shadow fell across her face and she discovered Sudo leaning over her.

"Hey, Aihara," he said cheerfully as she panted and pressed her pounding heart. "I want to see if you can be a good girl and persuade Irie to play me."

"You frightened two years off my life just to harp some more about that dumb game?!" she scolded.

"C'mon, you have no idea of how much this means to me," he pleaded.

"Go pester someone else," she refused, sliding her sunglasses back on her nose.

"But you gotta help me!" He reached down and grabbed her shoulders. "It's my masculine honor at stake!"

"It's your stupid perverted ego at stake!" she yelled back at him. "Now, let me go!"

Mrs. Irie, her mother's instincts working overtime, had roused at Kotoko's initial cry of astonishment. From her vantage point, after pushing the curtains aside, it appeared that her dear daughter-of-the-heart was about to be assaulted. "Halt, you perfidious villain!" she cried as she raised the window sash and leaned out.

At the same time, Sudo's Aunt Sachiki called, "Kou-kun, you lazy bucket of bones! Leave the Iries alone and get back to weeding the garden!"

"Damn!" Sudo muttered and released the girl, loping rapidly to a fenced-in area a few hundred meters away.

The intruder routed, Mrs. Irie quickly made her way downstairs and threw herself upon Kotoko. "Oh, my dear, what a terrible experience! Are you all right?"

Kotoko, realizing that her restful afternoon was over, hugged the older woman. "I'm all right, Obasama. Sudo-sempai was just being his usual pesky self. He won't take 'No' for an answer."

Mrs. Irie gasped. "Has he been sexually harassing you? Oh, my dear, this won't do!"

"No, no!" she laughed as she corrected her. "He wants to play tennis with Naoki."

"He wants to play Onii-chan?"

"Yes. He was trying to set up a match to impress another girl and Aijima-sempai put a stop to it." She lowered her voice in imitation. "'Irie owes me this since the captain cheated me out of the opportunity' or some such ridiculous crap."

Mrs. Irie's face froze in concentration for half a minute before she stood and pounded one hand with the other. "If he wants a match, then he shall have a match!"

"Uh, Obasama? Naoki might not want—"

"Now, never you mind, dear." She patted her shoulder. "Just leave it all to me!"

* * *

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Kotoko whispered to Naoki as they traveled in the van, Mrs. Irie at the wheel.

"No, I just know that she insisted we both accompany her."

Yuuki pouted behind them. "And I had to come because the only rental boat available this morning wouldn't fit three!"

"Almost here!" The vehicle made a wide turn and braked at the guard's booth of a swank-looking tennis club. "Irie party!" she called through the open window.

Checking his computer screen, the uniformed official nodded. "The remainder of your group has already arrived. You are on court four."

"Thank you!" She fluttered her fingers in a gay farewell, and the tires spun as she accelerated.

"'Group'?" Naoki inquired. "What's this about, Mom?"

"Just taking care of some of your unfinished business, Onii-chan!" She glared at him in the rear-view mirror.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" he moaned. He repeated the sound when he recognized the dusty work truck from the resort. "Mother, what have you done?"

"Yo, Irie!" Sudo waved cheerily at them. "You're a brave man, bringing all these witnesses to your humiliation!"

"Drat, he has a tennis racquet in his hand." Kotoko made sure to remain shielded behind Naoki, tugging Yuuki to her side.

"Mother, I do not care what you have promised, but I am not going to play this egotistical maniac just to satisfy some sort of revenge fantasy he has!"

"Nonsense, Onii-chan." Mrs. Irie calmly removed her jacket, displaying that she wore a chic tennis outfit. "He is going to play an Irie, just not the one he expected."

"Huh? What's this?" Sudo asked when Mrs. Irie began bouncing tennis balls on the court, checking its firmness.

"You replied to my challenge," she informed him calmly.

"No, no!" He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from a pocket. "I'm here to play him!" He pointed at Naoki.

"At no place does it specify which Irie, now does it?" she asked cannily.

"But I thought—!"

"Did I ask what you thought when you responded to the note? Are we playing or not? Of course," she shrugged, "if you wish to concede…"

Realizing that he was well and truly cornered, he gave a condescending laugh. "Well, now, ma'am, I guess I could give you a game or two. I'll take it easy on you. Why, you can even serve first."

"How kind." She gave him a saccharine smile. She pointed to the other side of the court. "You might want to get into position."

Sudo's confident grin lasted less than a minute. Mrs. Irie's serve was blistering, and he barely managed to get his return over the net, stumbling as he did so. She expertly smashed the ball into the opposite corner.

"Fifteen-love," Naoki pronounced in an emotionless voice.

"It's not fair!" Sudo waved the racquet above his head. "You can't be an impartial referee—you're her son!"

He gave him a slow smile. "Feel free to object to any of my calls."

Sudo gave a low growl and his brows flew together as he gave a brisk nod and readied himself for Mrs. Irie's second serve.

Half an hour later Kotoko observed, "Obasama sure is a good tennis player."

"That's an understatement, Onee-chan. She's wiping the floor—uh, the court—with him!" Yuuki cracked.

"She taught _me_ ," Naoki apprised them before calling, "Forty-fifteen! Match point."

"So, does that mean it's almost over?" Kotoko asked.

"Yes," he said, right before the volleying began. Thirty seconds later, he commented, "She's toying with him. I wonder what she has up her sleeve?"

It didn't take long to find out. Mrs. Irie maneuvered Sudo into just the right location before slamming the ball into the exact spot that her son had a few months earlier. Sudo collapsed on the court, writhing in pain.

Naoki covered his eyes, bowing his head. "She really did it."

"Irie!" Sudo howled from the ground. "You set this up!"

"Me?" he replied, walking over and helping him to his feet. "I turned you down at least a dozen times. You brought this on yourself."

He, bent over and panting, glared at Mrs. Irie. "She's a ringer!"

"No, she was regional champion in high school and college. The last two decades she has been winning tournaments at the country club. We have an attic full of her trophies."

"Wow." Kotoko patted Mrs. Irie's face with a towel. "I didn't know all that."

"Well," she tossed her head, "I don't like to brag. Now," she stomped around the net to Sudo, "young man, you are to stop pestering my Kotoko-chan! She belongs to me—that is, to my son!"

"Huh?" He goggled at her. "Aihara? I'm not interested in _her_. My heart is overflowing with love for Yuko-chan!"

"Yuuki-chan?" She darted a glance at her younger son. "Why, you pervert!" She began beating him with her towel.

"No, no!" he cried, backing away. "Yu-KO! Yu-KO! Matsumoto!"

"Oh." She stopped abruptly. "That overly-made-up-and-permed witch who is trying to take Onii-chan away from Kotoko-chan?" She picked up his racquet and poked him with it. "You need to settle your own love affair and keep her from interfering in that of my children!"

"Now, now, Mother." Naoki took her by the shoulders gently. "I believe he is doing the best he can," his mouth twitched, "with the materials he has available."

"Hey!"

"If I promise that I won't let her split up Kotoko and me, will you calm down?"

Her chest heaved in a great sigh. "I suppose so. But that's a promise!" she reminded him.

Naoki linked pinky fingers with her. "Yes, it is."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "It's been a long time since we did that. But just because this one," she glared at Sudo, "has been settled, doesn't mean that I can rest easy. There are plenty other enemies out there."

"Just take them one at a time, Ma," he said with a resigned tone. "And maybe, don't be _too_ hard on them?"

* * *

"You know, you were great this morning, Obasama," Kotoko said as she massaged salve into Mrs. Irie's thighs that evening.

"Ow! I know, dear," she gasped.

"And you hit Sudo-sempai in the same place that Naoki did at tryouts. That's amazing."

"Well," she preened as well as she could, face down on the floor, "such was my intent. But I also realized something."

"What is that, Obasama?"

"I've gotten soft, playing only old folks." She groaned, "On one level, I'm going to regret what I did. Ow!"

* * *

A/N: To the anonymous reviewer who thinks this story should get more reviews: Thank you very much for the thought. While I love reading reviews, it also cheers me up to look at the statistics and see that my stories are being read.


	10. Chapter 10

"What?!" Kotoko's mouth gaped before she hugged Jinko enthusiastically. "Aoki-chan asked you out over the summer?!"

Her friend's face reddened as she tried to loosen herself from the girl's chokehold. "Yeah, we went to the aquarium and to a café afterwards."

"Well, where is he?" She looked around the cafeteria.

"He and his club are scrambling madly to finish the film before the fall festival." She ducked her head. "I'm arranging the score."

"There's a contest?"

" _Musical_ score," Satomi interjected.

"Oh, Naoki!" Kotoko squealed when he set his tray in front of her. "Guess what?"

"We," he nodded at Sonada who placed his tray next to Satomi, "heard you all the way across the room. It took him long enough," he said, referring to Aoki.

"Isn't that the truth?" Satomi sighed.

"And how about you, Satomi?" Kotoko asked, thinking of Watanabe.

"Ishikawa-san and I went to the zoo," Sonada interrupted. 'We had a nice time didn't we?"

"Uh, yes." Satomi managed a tight smile at Kotoko's accusatory glare and Naoki's inquisitive eyebrow.

Feeling that the silence was hanging on too long, Kotoko managed to ask, "Did you see the red pandas?"

"As a matter of fact, they were quite playful," she replied right before another approached the table.

"Hello, all." Matsumoto tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Did you miss me?"

"Oh, that's right!" Kotoko greeted her. "You and your family went on a cruise, didn't you?"

"We hired a personal yacht," Satomi and Jinko raised eyebrows at each other, "and toured the South China Sea, visiting some of the islands. By the way," she pulled a vaguely spherical wrapped package from her bag, "I brought you back a treat, Aihara."

Kotoko accepted and rotated it as if to view all sides. "What is it?"

"Open it, doofus!" Jinko elbowed her.

"It's a native fruit," Matsumoto said. "A bit of a local delicacy. Since you displayed such culinary expertise during the tennis retreat, I thought you might like to try your hand with this."

Kotoko had just begun to remove the wrapping when Kinnosuke showed up. "Kotoko, I've told ya again and again that ya can't be be yellin' in the cafeteria."

Naoki leaned back. "What took you so long?"

"Ah, I was in the back, elbows deep in dishwater and couldn't get—hey, why am I explainin' this to you, Irie?"

Naoki shrugged.

Kotoko piped up, "But Jinko and Aoki-chan went on a date during the summer. And look, Matsumoto-san brought me back a fruit of some kind. Ouch, it stuck me!" She placed a finger in her mouth then wrinkled her nose. "Did someone just burp? Nasty!"

"What is it?" Kinnosuke snatched it from her and carefully peeled the last of the paper away to reveal a round, spiny fruit about twelve centimeters in diameter, enclosed in two zippered plastic bags. "Oh, wow!" He held it up carefully in front of his face and peered at it closely.

"It's a surprise." Matsumoto smiled slyly. "I thought Kotoko might like to prepare it for Irie-kun."

Kinnosuke brayed loudly while Naoki's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the tall girl. "Kotoko? Lady, you've gotta be kiddin' me! Kotoko ain't no sorta cook! Ya gotta leave these things to the experts you know." He nodded sagely. "Now, just give me a few minutes, and I'll cut it up and serve it to you all."

"Th-that's not necessary." Matsumoto reached for it. "It's for Aihara—"

"And I said that she's useless in the kitchen. Wait right here!" He loped back behind the counter.

"You know," Matsumoto clasped her bag strap tightly, "I just remembered something that I need—"

Satomi and Naoki each grabbed an arm. "I think not, Sister," the girl ground out. "Somehow I have a sneaking suspicion about that thing. Especially since that lovely aroma didn't appear until you did!"

"You're very observant, Ishikawa-san," Naoki said. "I happen to know what that item is, and it is an extremely pungent time bomb."

"What do you mean—" Kotoko began before all hell broke loose.

"Kin-chan! What are you—cough! cough!"

"You baka Kinnosuke!"

"Ikezawa, get that—that—that THING out of the building! NOW!"

Kinnosuke emerged from the back as if shoved (which, indeed, he was), holding a bowl of the cut fruit. Gasps of horror and sounds of gagging erupted from tables he passed, with students either fleeing or holding napkins to their noses. The miasma preceded him, and deadly fumes soon reached Kotoko's table.

"Cough! Kin-chan!" she said into her jacket sleeve, "what _is_ that smell?"

"It's your fruit, Kotoko." He glared at Matsumoto. "The fruit that back-stabbin' hussy gave to you."

"It's durian," Naoki said calmly. "Some people enjoy the odor and taste, while others," he waved an arm around the room, "don't."

"You mean, _you_ can stand it, Irie-san?" Sonada asked with tears in his eyes.

"Apparently so," he replied, "along with Kinnosuke here. Is this the result you wished for, Matsumoto?" he turned to the girl and asked.

With Kinnosuke waving the bowl under her nose, her normally pearly complexion was tinged a lovely shade of green. "Not exactly," she breathed, right before vomiting into the dish, adding another layer of odor onto the stench.

The entire table rose with that event. "I do bebiebe lunch is ober," Jinko said as she backed away, holding her nostrils shut tightly.

* * *

"Satomi! You wicked woman!" Kotoko jumped on her as soon as the three friends were alone.

"What?" She flushed and began to fuss with the ends of her hair.

"Dating Sonada-san! What about Watanabe-kun?"

"Well, realistically, Kotoko," Jinko put in, "Watanabe-kun is all the way across Tokyo. Absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder."

"I'm not ignoring Watanabe-kun," Satomi argued heatedly. "I went out with him as well over the break."

"Ooh!" Now Jinko ranged herself on Kotoko's side. "What a player you are!"

"Neither one of them has asked for exclusivity," she pointed out. "And I'm just dating them, not sleeping with them." She glared at her two high school pals.

"So, do you have a preference?" Kotoko asked quietly.

She shrugged and looked away. "I'm not prepared to say anything yet. They're both nice in different ways."

"Okay." Jinko set her jaw. "If they aren't ready to make a commitment, then you don't have to be bound to either. We'll support you. Right, Kotoko?"

"Uh, right," she agreed with a slight hesitation.

* * *

"Don't interfere," Naoki ordered her with a stern expression.

"But poor Watanabe-kun!" she cried.

"And how do you know that he hasn't dated someone at Waseda in the meantime?" he asked.

"I don't," she said. "Can you find out if he has?"

"Gah!" He ran both hands through his hair. "You've been influenced too much by Mother!"


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had an exhausting time of substitute teaching and then a trip to Disney World. (Equally exhausting.)

* * *

"What a wonderful day for your Fall Festival!" Mrs. Irie gushed.

"Uh, I suppose." Kotoko peered at the early morning sky. "No rain is forecast, at least."

"The whole family will be coming by in the afternoon, so just keep a lookout for us!"

"Everyone?" Kotoko's eyes widened.

"Didn't I tell you?" The older woman beamed. "Papa and your father will join Yuuki-kun and me. I'm picking him up early from school," she whispered.

"Huh?" Yuuki asked. "Why didn't you let _me_ know that?"

"Because," his mother patted his head, "otherwise you would have told Kotoko-chan and spoiled the surprise entirely!"

Seeing the look on the girl's face, the boy thought, ' _Shock' would be a better word!_

* * *

"There's nothing you can do about Mother when she gets the bit between her teeth," Naoki consoled his girlfriend.

"I've never understood that phrase about biting teeth," she complained then quickly placed a hand over his mouth. "Never mind! It's just that I hope she doesn't interfere with…"

"Did you plan something that I don't know of?" he asked in an ominous tone.

"Maybe. _But!_ I won't worry about it." Kotoko made a fist of both hands. "Fighting!"

* * *

"Darn!" Kotoko complained as she wiped a forearm across her brow. "I would have agreed to help the Anime Club if I'd known I was going to be run this hard." She was one of the tennis club members responsible for taking and delivering food orders at the club tent.

Matsumoto, as the apple of Sudo's eye, had the easier chore of greeting and seating customers. "After all," the assistant captain explained, "our tennis beauty will draw people in and enhance her chances of winning as Queen of Tonan U."

The final event of the festival was the crowning of the queen, who was selected by all male visitors. Matsumoto herself made not-so-subtle hints about pageant voting to all who chose to eat at the tennis club okoyamaki stand.

"Do you think I would have volunteered in your place as cook if I wasn't concerned for the health of our customers?" Naoki looked even hotter and sweatier than she, positioned behind the teppan grill. "Not to mention the added aggravation of," he looked to his right side, " _him!_ "

Kinnosuke, having heard of the food item that was being prepared, had immediately flared up and declared that the only place where true okoyamaki could be found was his homeplace, Osaka. He had applied for a place at the festival to prepare it and successfully campaigned to be stationed next to the tennis booth. Unfortunately, not having a beautiful woman to lure customers to his stand, his sales were definitely lagging behind the competition, and he had been letting out a constant stream of complaints and insults.

"C'mon, Kotoko, be loyal to your old classmate," he begged.

"Kin-chan, I'm sure you're a great cook, but right now I can barely stand to even _look_ at okoyamaki," Kotoko groaned.

"Well, then," he pressed, "how about Jinko and Satomi? Where're they?"

"Jinko is helping out at the Anime theater, and Satomi is working at the Ski Club booth. I'm sure they'll come by when they get a break."

"Aw, that means until then I'll havta watch this bastard mangle a classic Kansai dish!" he whined.

"Aihara!" Kotoko jumped at Sudo's shout. "Why are you fiddle-faddling at the stove?" He approached, wagging a finger at her. "Flirt on your own time!"

"Hey, you can't talk to Kotoko like that!" Kinnosuke flashed.

"Oh, so _you're_ the problem." The tennis star looked the chef up and down critically. "Are you distracting our cook? How's it going, Irie?" he inquired with a smug triumphant grin.

"A lot better if I didn't have to listen to this overgrown ape gripe at me."

"I wouldn't havta do that if you weren't so out of your league with me!" Kinnosuke's face reddened with rage and he waved his hardly-used spatula around.

Naoki snapped. "I'm tired of hearing that! Let's settle this here and now!"

Kotoko looked from one to the other in worry. "How do you mean to do that?"

"His Highness," Naoki said snarkily, jerking his head toward Kinnosuke, "can tell me how an 'authentic' Kansai okoyamaki is supposed to be made, and he and I can compete, head-to-head."

"But who'll judge the winner?" she wondered, but not for long.

"A competition!" Sudo shouted. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are having a culinary contest in the tennis tent! Everyone's a judge! Come one, come all!"

"Oh, crap," Kotoko muttered as she wiggled her way out of the crowd which suddenly appeared. "Yikes!" she cried as she spied a familiar lanky figure on the sidewalk. Checking to make certain that Naoki's attention was elsewhere, she threw her apron in the direction of another club member and exited the area. "Hello, Watanabe-kun," she greeted the newcomer.

* * *

Thanks to Sudo's enthusiastic advertising, there were over thirty people observing the cook-off. Kinnosuke gave haughty directions for the preparation of his native dish.

"Okay, folks!" Sudo hollered when they both presented their creation on a plate. "Let's vote on a winner!"

After a moment of silence, one person stated the obvious. "They're identical!"

"Yeah!"

An attractive young woman cried out, "But I'd rather eat the one that Irie-kun made!"

Murmurs of agreement from other females enraged the Osakan chef. "What kinda taste does that show you have, huh?! Always looking at the surface, you shallow gals!" He glared at Naoki. "And after all this time, I still can't see why he's always the one preferred!"

"How about I take myself out of the running?" Naoki asked.

"What?" Kinnosuke goggled.

Naoki wiped the cooking surface then stowed the implements neatly before slapping the other heartily on the back. "It's time for a break. You taught me so well, I'm sure you can educate another. Kosaka!" he called. "Your turn behind the stove!"

He shrugged off Matsumoto's hand and invitation to stroll the booths. "Sorry, I have other plans." He looked from one side to another. Now where had Kotoko disappeared to? And, was that really Watanabe that she left with?

* * *

"I was surprised to receive your invitation to the festival, Aihara-san."

"Oh, call me 'Kotoko', Watanabe-kun!" she said with a grin.

"Not without clearance from Irie," he replied teasingly.

"He's not _that_ tightly wound," she giggled. "I have several men use my first name. Well," she mused thoughtfully, "some of them use 'sort of' my name."

"That's a curious statement," he said.

"Never mind!" She waved away his comment. "What surprises me is that Satomi didn't invite you."

"Well," he shrugged, "we are attending different colleges, after all. What I appreciate about her is she understands the fact that I am taking a challenging course of study."

"Oh, heavens!" Kotoko looked horror-stricken. "Is this interfering with your classes?"

"No, no," he reassured her. "It's a light day for me. Would you care to eat anything? My treat," he added.

"I didn't invite you to make you spend money on me," she scolded. "Plus, working as a server in this heat has destroyed my appetite."

"Then you need something cool," he suggested.

"It's a lucky thing that Satomi is working with the Ski Club," she confided. "They are selling shaved ice."

Watanabe winked at her. "I _thought_ I was being herded in a particular direction."

Kotoko giggled and pointed. "Look, there she is, just ahead. Satomi!" she called, waving and running before her guest. She laughed as she grabbed hold of the counter and said, "Look who I brought with—" Her voice halted and she gasped when she saw who was also standing in the booth.

Her friend looked up and smiled in her direction. "What's all the excitement for?"

"Satomi!" she whispered. "What is Sonada doing here?"

"He just showed up and I put him to work. What does it matter?" She frowned at Kotoko then inhaled as she looked beyond her. Satomi flushed and grabbed her friend's arm. "Why is Watanabe-kun here?"

"I invited him!" Kotoko hissed. "Of course, I didn't know that you'd be flirting with another guy when we showed up."

"I wasn't flirting—! Darn!" Satomi smiled. "Hello, Watanabe-kun. Did you come to check out our campus?"

"Hello, Satomi-san." He touched her hand. "You're looking beautiful, as always."

"Thank you." She made a move to push her hair behind her ears, forgetting that it was already tied back. "I thought you were so busy that you wouldn't be able to break away."

"Still, I wish you had been the one to invite me instead of Kotoko."

"Excuse me, Satomi," Sonada interrupted, "but is this person going to order or just block actual customers?"

Satomi gave him a sharp look, as she had not given him permission to use her first name. "This is a friend of mine from high school."

Watanabe winked. "A very _close_ friend, I hope."

The other man opened his mouth but was interrupted before he could get a syllable out.

"Kotoko! Satomi!" a voice shouted.

"Jinko?" Kotoko turned. "What is it?"

"Why are you yelling?" Satomi asked, glad for a diversion from the drama at the kakigori stand.

"Didja bring that costume you were working on?"

"Yes, it's in my bag back here. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yep! The movie is a huge hit! It's time to get the princess dressed!"

"What are you talking about?" Kotoko stomped her feet.

"You!' Jinko grabbed her by the shoulders. "You are going to turn into Kotorin, Warrior Princess."

" _Oh-no-I'm-not!_ " she declared. "I was embarrassed enough when Satomi gave that bikini to Naoki. I am not wandering around here wearing almost no clothes!"

"No, no," Satomi soothed her. "I made a much more modest outfit. Now," she turned to Jinko, "where can we get her changed?"

"The student union building is open. We can use the restroom there. Now, come on!" Satomi deserted the ski club and joined Jinko in dragging her along.

"So," Watanabe leaned an elbow on the counter and looked closely at Sonada, "how well do you know Satomi-san?"


	12. Chapter 12

"This is so frustrating!" Mrs. Irie stamped her foot. "Onii-chan is not here and neither is my Kotoko-chan."

"But Kin-the-Dim is," Yuuki pointed to the chef who was berating Kosaka for some culinary infraction.

"So he is." Mr. Aihara headed in that direction. "I think I'll see what he's getting up to."

"Well, can't we eat anyway?" Mr. Irie pleaded. "I skipped lunch because you promised that Nao would cook for us."

"But he's not _here_!" she protested.

"Come on, Mom, have sympathy on our stomachs. Let's order, Dad." He elbowed his father. "At least it's not Onee-chan doing the cooking."

"Good point, son," he said.

"I heard that!" Mrs Irie cried. "Don't make fun of my Kotoko-chan!"

"Kotoko-chan?" Matsumoto glided forward. "Are you acquainted with Aihara?"

The older woman immediately recognized her and bared her teeth. "And you, you strumpet, had better stay away from my son!"

"Son? Are you Mrs. Irie?" Ignoring the insult, she gave her an ingratiating smile. "I don't know what Aihara may have said about me—"

"She didn't have to say a word! I've witnessed your scheming with my own eyes." She looked in all directions and focused on the cooking area. "Aargh! There is that bleached rogue right next to the Casanova Chef! This tent is full of vipers," she glared at Sudo, unsuccessfully trying to hide from her behind the club sign, "inside _and_ out!"

* * *

Naoki was unable to locate Kotoko, but his old pal's tall figure was easily recognizable. He sighed when he drew nearer and saw that Sonada was conversing with him. "Hello, Watanabe, Sonada," he hailed them.

"Yo, Irie," his high school friend replied. "Were you looking for me?"

"Actually, I believe I misplaced my girlfriend. Have you any idea where she is?"

"Satomi and Kimori-san dragged her away several minutes ago in that direction." He pointed.

Naoki groaned. "If she's with them, retrieving her will be a Herculean task."

"I'll go with you to provide assistance," Watanabe laughed. "It was...illuminating to meet you, Sonada-san."

The other nodded briefly then turned to greet an approaching customer.

"I'd like to apologize if Kotoko overstepped somehow," Naoki said with chagrin.

"Not at all." Watanabe smiled at him easily. "I'm grateful for the invitation. It provided me with insight into a particular situation."

"I warned her not to interfere." He shook his head. "I might as well order the tides to cease."

"So," he cleared his throat, "what do you know about that fellow Sonada?"

"He's a classmate of mine in the medical department," Naoki replied. "It was actually through me that he and Satomi-san met."

Watanabe considered the statement. "So he's impressive competition."

"I wouldn't worry too much." Naoki tried to assure him. "Why don't we let the trio have their 'girl time' and instead head back to the tennis tent? I believe I can manage to hook you up with some free food and drink there."

He was agreeable, but their way was blocked by a raucous procession. "Did your college have a parade scheduled?" Watanabe asked.

Naoki shook his head, and they followed the crowd, which appeared to be going also towards their destination. When they were within sight of their target, he groaned when he heard Mrs. Irie cry out loudly, "Kotoko-chan!" He placed a hand to his head when he espied the central figure in the congregated students. "I might have known that she'd be in the middle of it."

"What in the world is she wearing?" asked his friend.

He narrowed his eyes. "That's the same fabric Satomi-san used for the Kotorin costume, although it appears that she used more cloth for this one."

"What's a 'Kotorin'?"

Sudo provided a hearty greeting to the crowd, after which he immediately took advantage of the situation to offer a free (with food purchase!) photo op with his girlfriend. Naoki laughed when the gregarious 'boss-of-the-day' shoved the previous main attraction (Matsumoto) to the side and instructed her to don an apron and take orders. "Well, there will be no getting near her now. Would you like to see the movie which will answer that question?"

* * *

Watanabe removed his glasses to wipe his eyes as they left the theater. He gasped out, "Honestly, I can almost see Aihara actually doing those things, provided that she could fly in space."

"You don't know the half of it," Naoki grunted. "The villains are based on real people. I can introduce you to them at the tennis booth, _if_ things have calmed down, that is."

"No, but thanks for the offer. I believe I'll head back to the Ski Club and have a chat with Satomi. I feel like I may have dropped the ball somewhere along the line."

"Again, I'm sorry if Kotoko caused you trouble."

"Actually," he said thoughtfully, "this was information that I needed. I might end up having to thank her, depending on how things go."

Naoki clapped him on the shoulder. "Best of luck, friend."

"The same to you," Watanabe chuckled. "If it works out for me, your mother will have to retire her matchmaking crown."

"I still don't see how she believes that she is responsible for Kotoko and me getting together," Naoki grumbled.

* * *

The tennis club's food booth had closed for business by the time Naoki made his way there. Kotoko was visibly drooping, her face flushed as Mrs. Irie fanned her in concern. Matsumoto, clad in a serving apron and with curls frizzing from the stove's humidity, viewed them with a cranky expression. Sudo beamed as he counted the money while making sure to remain meters away from Mrs. Irie, who shot him a glare every now and then.

"I'm so tired of smiling," Kotoko moaned.

"That's just as well," Naoki told her.

Her eyes snapped open. "When did you get here?"

"Just now." He held out a hand. "Why don't we step away for a few minutes and have a word?"

"Uh—" Kotoko misliked the cold look in his eyes.

"Onii-chan!" Mrs. Irie burst out. "Do you see how cute Kotoko-chan is in this outfit? Why weren't you here to protect her? There were multitudes of strange men ogling her!"

"Sorry. I went to see the film that _caused_ those strange men to ogle her."

"I'm sure they weren't ogling me," Kotoko reassured Mrs. Irie, only to ask Naoki once they moved down the path, "What does 'ogle' mean?"

"Staring with lecherous intent."

"Oh." She pondered that a moment. "Maybe they were, but, never mind that, what did you want to say?"

"Kotoko," he took a deep breath, "I thought I told you not to interfere."

"You mean by inviting Watanabe-kun today?"

"Exactly." He gave a sharp nod.

"But—but he's your friend, and Satomi is my friend."

"Yes, but—"

"And I thought it would be so much fun if things worked out so we could go on double dates and trips and things." She blinked her eyes and tried a cute expression to see if it would soften his tone.

Naoki placed a firm hand on top of her head to stop her nonsense. "Their relationship is _their_ business. You," he pressed harder on her scalp, "should keep your nose out of it.

"I like Sonada all right," she pouted, "but it won't be the same with him."

"No, he's not as close a friend as Watanabe, but again, it's up to them. I don't want you doing something like this again."

She rubbed her eyes and sniffed, "Are we fighting?"

He shook his head. "It takes two to fight, and I'm not planning to engage in that activity."

"No," she crossed her arms, "you've got to show a temper to fight, and you're acting too cool for that."

"I do not see the necessity to say hurtful things in the heat of anger," he replied calmly.

"Even if that sometimes clears the air and lets the truth free?"

"I don't follow your logic."

"Let's try this another way. About minding my business, was that an order?"

He hesitated. "You know I don't like to interfere in your decisions, but in this case I felt like I should. So, yes, consider it an order."

She stomped a foot. "What if I don't follow your orders?"

"Kotoko…"

"You're not the boss of me!"

Before he could make a reply, they heard her name cried out by multiple people.

"Here you are!" Jinko, followed closely by the Anime Club, dragged Kotoko away.

"Wait—what?!"

"You've gotta get to the center stage," Jinko commanded.

"Kotoko is one of the finalists for Festival Queen!" Aoki crowed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naoki asked his girlfriend after he caught up to them.

"I didn't know!" she protested.

"We heard so many of our attendees rave about you that I suspected this would happen," Aoki informed her, slightly out of breath at the pace.

"But what if I don't want to?" she wailed.

"You _must_ , Kotorin." Kato turned and stopped her in her tracks, grasping hold of her shoulders. "The Anime Club seldom has opportunities like this for publicity."

"Please," Tanaka got down on his knees, "do this."

"And don't forget," Jinko twisted the screw a little tighter, "that skank Matsumoto is one of the final five as well."

"Matsumoto, hmm?" Kotoko tapped her foot in thought then raised a fist to the sky. "Onward!"

"Kotoko, we haven't finished our discussion!" Naoki called after them.

"It'll just have to wait!" Jinko replied over her shoulder.


	13. Chapter 13

"They didn't say the contest was open to freaks," Matsumoto snarked from the corner of her mouth.

Exhaustion doing its best to catch up with her, Kotoko responded, "Do you believe that your natural arrogance will earn you the title?"

"Big talk from someone wearing wings on her head."

"Oh, cut the crap, 'Yuko-chan'. We're the only freshmen up here, so I don't think either one of us has much of a chance."

"Speak for yourself." She tossed her head as the announcer completed the introductions.

"I present the fourth runner-up, from the Kendo Club, Sukinari Rika!"

A tall young lady accepted a bouquet and ribbon, waving to her vociferously cheering clubmates.

"Third runner-up, from the Foreign Language Department, is Iwaya Sumire!"

She blew kisses to the audience and called out several phrases.

"What'd she say, Matsumoto-san?" Kotoko whispered.

"I'm assuming 'Thank you' since that's what she said in English and French. I didn't recognize the other languages."

"So there's something you _don't_ know?"

Matsumoto sneered in reply.

"Second runner-up is Shiraki Kasane from the Ski Club!"

"Oh, she's Satomi's sempai!" Kotoko unconsciously grasped Matsumoto's arm. "I met her when I picked Satomi up after one of the meetings."

"Is that all you have to say?" Matsumoto took hold of the hand to remove it. "You do realize that the competition is down to us two, don't you?"

Kotoko did not have a chance to respond before the emcee cried out, "What sisterly bonds these girls have! Look, they're holding hands!"

"We're not—" Matsumoto broke off when she realized that she hadn't let go of Kotoko's hand and almost thrust it from her, proffering a wide smile to the clapping observers.

"Yes, these young ladies are both from the Tennis Club, which has a grand reputation for winning. It looks like this is the case today, even though Aihara is technically representing the Anime Appreciation Club, having been the basis for the heroine of their runaway hit movie."

"Hey, the other gal was in the show too!" an audience member cried.

"Well, if that's the case," the announcer continued, "should we just declare it a tie, here and now?"

Roars of disagreement arose from the crowd. Alternating cheers of 'Kotorin!' and 'Matsu-san!' could be heard from the anime and tennis club members, respectively.

"What a doofus," Yuuki stated with derision.

Naoki jumped. "When did you show up, Otouto?"

"We've been here for half an hour," he sighed. "Once Mom heard about Onee-chan's nomination, nothing would keep her from the area. See?" He pointed. "She elbowed a couple dozen people to get right up to the edge of the stage."

"Did she bring her camera?" Naoki asked.

"Make it plural and you'll be correct. Luckily it's Dad who's toting them around and not me."

"Mighty slick of you to escape." He patted his brother's head.

"Yeah. Smaller size comes in handy every now and then. Of course, you're so tall that it didn't take me any time to find you."

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! The Tonan University Fall Festival Queen is—" he paused for the special audio effect of a drum roll to fade away "—the Anime Appreciation Club's own Kotorin, Aihara Kotoko!"

Kotoko had to be pulled forward from Matsumoto's side, her eyes glazed over in shock. "M-me?" she asked, pointing to her chest.

"Yes, you!" He grinned, dragging her to the front of the stage.

Yuuki snorted out in laughter as the previous year's winner attempted to place a crown atop her head, only to be stymied by the winged headband. The first runner-up stalked off the stage in disgust, not even waiting for her flowers and ribbon.

"But wait, folks, it's not over!" the announcer cried out. "Our queen must have a king! Although we can probably guess who it will be," he winked at Kotoko, "you still need to say his name."

Naoki found himself tensing involuntarily. They had exchanged cross words earlier; surely she wouldn't use that against him.

He let out a breath when his girlfriend called out merrily, "Naoki! Where are you hiding? I know you don't like being the center of attention, but tough luck! Come on up here!"

"Too bad you didn't think to hire a stunt double, Onii-chan," Yuuki teased.

"Well, who would have ever thought this," he waved a hand, "would happen?" He narrowed his eyes at his brother. "I don't suppose you'd like to fill in for me?"

"And ruin Mom's night? Forget it," he laughed, "and get going!"

"Oh, my baby is the winner!" Mr. Aihara arrived, slightly out of breath, Kinnosuke trailing behind.

"Yes, sir," Naoki responded. "I'm surprised you weren't here earlier."

"I was helping my apprentice here," he jerked a thumb at Kinnosuke, "clean up the two stoves."

"Two?"

"Yeah," the Osakan groused, "he told me that I'd better join with the Tennis Club or my ingredients would spoil and go to waste."

"I replaced your player at the tennis stove," he admitted, almost apologetically. "He was making a real hash of the okonomiyaki."

"Ha!" Kinnosuke pounded his arm a little too strongly, causing the older man to stagger. "Nice food joke!" He preened. "Me and Otosan here really kicked some butt preparin' the food."

"I'm certain you both exceeded Sudo's expectations," Naoki said politely. "However, if you will excuse me, I must obey my better half." Indeed, the crowd was now chanting his name, trying to get him to come forward.

"Damn!" Kinnosuke swore. "If only we'd been a little bit earlier, Kotoko might've picked me!"

"What kind of fumes were you inhaling back there in the tent?" Yuuki asked him in disbelief, while Mr. Aihara shook his head in resignation at his assistant's continued denseness.

Cheers arose as the audience observed Naoki making his way to the stage and moved to clear a path in front of him. He took the steps two at a time and bent his neck silently for the king's crown to be placed on his head.

He looked down warily at Kotoko. "I thought you might not choose me, since we were having a...disagreement earlier."

"Silly," she responded without looking at him, occupied with smiling and waving to the crowd. "I wouldn't let something like _that_ stop me from claiming you. If I didn't do so, Matsumoto would be all over you."

"Don't you mean, Matsum _atorre_?" he teased.

"So you saw the show?"

"Yes, with Watanabe while you were campaigning for this role." He straightened her crown.

"Not my idea, remember? Anyway, about that thing with Watanabe-kun…"

"Now isn't the time." He held a hand over his eyes. _Damn, if his mother didn't stop taking flash pictures of the two of them, he was going to go blind._

"That's all right," Kotoko said cheerfully, a wide smile deepening her dimples. "You can abrade yourself later and beg for my forgiveness."

"Abrade? Perhaps you mean, 'abase'? And what makes you think _I'll_ be the one apologizing?"

"Look over there, under the trees." She pointed in the direction of an approaching couple, hands touching too often for it to be accidental. "It looks like my 'interfering' has all worked out for the best."

Naoki groaned when he saw their best friends together, apparently blissfully happy. "Now I'll never get you to mind your own business! What am I going to do with you?"

"Well," she twinkled up at him, "you did predict that the movie would make you the envy of other men. Why don't we amp up the pressure?" she suggested, right before pulling his face down for a long kiss.

There were numerous catcalls, several groans (Kinnosuke and Matsumoto, as an example), and at least one fainter (Mrs. Irie).

* * *

Two days later the three friends met at a local café for tea and cake.

"Okay, Satomi," Kotoko leaned across the table, "what happened between you and Watanabe-kun?"

She placed her cup carefully on the saucer. "He apologized if he surprised me by showing up so suddenly and admitted that he was afraid he had taken me for granted."

"Whaddya mean?" Jinko interposed. "What did I miss?"

"That's right. You were with the Anime Club most of the day."

"And Aoki-san," Satomi added.

Kotoko ducked her head. "I invited Watanabe-kun to the Fall Festival because I preferred him over Sonada-san. Naoki got mad at me."

"Because you didn't mind your own business?" Satomi eyed her narrowly.

"Yes." Kotoko looked a little worried at her friend's expression.

"Even though Jinko and I saw what going on in high school with you and Irie-kun but kept our noses out of it?"

Kotoko's head ducked even farther.

Jinko tried to mediate. "Hey, Satomi—"

Satomi walked around the table and hugged Kotoko. "I'm glad you did what you did. We got to have a nice talk and clear the air."

"And Sonada-san?" Kotoko wanted to make sure that all loose ends were secured.

With a shrug, Satomi admitted, "We just went out one time and only as friends, as I told him _repeatedly_. It seems he doesn't listen very well for a future doctor." She sighed, "There was no real competition, despite what I implied to you. Like you, Kotoko," she winked, "I prefer Jun-kun also."

The other girls squealed at her use of his given name. When they sobered, Jinko commented, "Gotta feel for the other guy though. I think he's been crushing on you for several months."

Satomi batted her lashes. "Is it my fault that I'm so irresistible that men can't help but fall in love with me?"

"Why you!" Her two friends began to act a decade younger, tossing paper napkins and straws across the table.

* * *

A/N: For the Satomi-bashers, if you re-read carefully, she never made the first move on Sonada. And, after all, she and Watanabe would have been dating only since February/March. With them attending separate schools, even that would have been (at best) sporadic.


	14. Chapter 14

Matsumoto sniffed audibly as she walked past Kotoko and Aoki, taking her usual seat next to Funatsu. Eyes narrowed, she watched one clenched hand pound the table's surface while the other spasmodically twisted his unruly hair.

"Okay, you have my attention," she said drily. "What's wrong now?"

He turned to her, eyes red. "No matter what I do, I still can't surpass that bastard!"

"Oh. Irie-kun again?" She frowned in remembrance of losing to Kotoko at the Fall Festival and that _extremely_ passionate and public kiss which had been forced upon Naoki. She couldn't imagine that the self-composed Irie-kun of her memory would have appreciated that action.

"The harder I try and the higher my grades rise, he still exceeds me! It is so aggravating!"

"Indeed." Matsumoto's thoughts again zoomed in on Kotoko. "She certainly is."

"She? Who are we talking about?" he asked, confused.

"Irie-kun's," her lip curled, " _girlfriend_."

"Oh, yes, the girl back there." Funatsu spun in his chair and observed her. "He must be a very trusting person, letting her sit next to another man."

"Him?" She sniffed in disdain. "Who would be jealous of that nerd? Besides," she doodled on her notepad, "he is dating a friend of hers." _And I am dating no one,_ she thought.

"Hmm. I wonder what would happen to his concentration if someone just as eligible showed up and started paying attention to her."

"Who knows?" she sighed. "That whole relationship is a mystery to me."

"She's not bad-looking." He continued to stare at her. "And she is well-known, thanks to that animated portrayal of her. So it wouldn't be too out of the ordinary for her sudden popularity to go to her head."

"I doubt it." Matsumoto's expression was sour. "She holds onto him like a leech."

"By the way, have you heard that leeches are coming back into fashion as a medical procedure?"

"Eww! Even that anime geek back there has better conversational skills than you!" She paused suddenly. "Medical procedure…?"

"Yes. You see, they secrete peptides and proteins that work to prevent blood clots. That keeps blood flowing to wounds and helps them heal."

"No, no, I wasn't talking about those creatures. I mean, Aihara is working at being the tennis club's manager. You know, wrapping joints and bandaging wounds."

"So?"

She leaned closer to him. "You're a medical student, right? Number Two in the year?"

"You don't have to rub it in," he scowled.

"Look, that's your 'in' with Aihara. Offer to assist her with technique or something."

"But wouldn't Irie do that?"

"She is quite independent. I think she doesn't like to 'burden' him and take him away from his studies." She frowned and admitted grudgingly, "That's rather admirable of her, actually."

"So, do you think she would allow me to help her?" Funatsu appeared to be considering the possibility.

"You never know until you try." Her eyes raked him from head to toe. "But first, perhaps you could do a little spiffing up of your appearance."

"What's wrong with the way I look?" he asked, offended.

"Where do I start?" she countered. "Never mind, I'll take you in hand. Aihara won't recognize you once I'm done!"

* * *

"Pardon me, but you were impressive back there beside the tennis court."

Kotoko looked at the young man quizzically. "You're not a member of the team, are you?"

"What, ah, no." He nervously shoved up brand-new fashionable glasses. "I was passing by and thought how commendable it was that the team is using precautions, assigning a dedicated person to health and welfare."

"Health and welfare?" Kotoko laughed. "I'm afraid that is a bit of exaggeration. I wrap up joints and clean off scrapes. I've been reading up on first aid, but I haven't taken a full course in it yet."

"If you are interested," he bowed briefly, "I would be happy to assist you."

"Are you an instructor?" she asked, thinking that he looked too young to be a professor.

"Not at all. But I am a medical student and can tutor you on parts of the human anatomy and how best to protect and care for those areas which might be over-strained in a sports activity such as tennis."

"A medical student? Perhaps you know my boyfriend, then? Irie Naoki? And a friend of his, Sonada-san?"

"Ah, yes. Those two are in my classes, plus Irie is well-known in the department," he added, gritting his teeth.

"There was one other who I met once." Kotoko's brow crinkled in thought. "He made such a scene in the cafeteria. He's about your height, messy hair but the same color, glasses also…" Her voice trailed away and her eyes narrowed on his face.

"Yes, it is I, Funatsu Seichi." He bowed again, lower this time. "I apologize greatly for letting emotions control my actions at that time."

"You look like you're doing better." She smiled and patted his arm. "There is really no shame in coming in second to that genius."

"Correct," he answered shortly.

"Besides," she continued without noticing his response, "I was way lower than second to him when we were in high school."

Funatsu cleared his throat. "Yes, of course. I suppose you do not care to ask for his assistance in your position with the tennis team, in order to keep him in the number one spot."

"I haven't thought of it that way," she replied. "We're just on different career tracks, plus he only comes to about half the practices."

"Really?" Matsumoto's information had been correct. That meant that he would have plenty of free time to spend with the bastard's little girlfriend.

* * *

"And so we're going to study the human body in our free time, when neither of us have classes."

"And why couldn't Onii-chan assist you?" Mrs. Irie asked with acerbity. "Isn't that his responsibility?"

"Not at all. He has his own classes to study for. Medical science is new information for him, after all."

She did not give up the argument. "But I thought you were going to be taking courses for this. Won't this duplicate those and just be a waste of time?"

"That class isn't scheduled this term. Plus, Sei-chan says that a knowledge of how the body is put together will give me a head start in learning. And you know _me_ ," she added deprecatingly, "I need all the help I can get." She grabbed an apple and headed up the stairs. "I'll study awhile then come down and set the table for you."

"Blast that son of mine!" She stamped a foot in anger. "He is so laser-focused on his career that he can't see problems right under his nose."

* * *

"Aihara has certainly benefited from the Fall Festival exposure."

Naoki smoothly returned the tennis ball to Matsumoto before asking, "In what way?"

"I've seen her several times with a rather handsome young man. Quite a difference from those nerds that made the movie." Her snort of derision broke her concentration and she had to rush to the ball, resulting in a high lob which Naoki easily smashed into the far corner.

She retrieved and served it. After his return, Naoki commented, "That must be Funatsu from the medical department."

"You know about him?" This time Matsumoto did not permit the news to falter her swing.

"Kotoko told me about him."

"I must say he has improved since high school. He seems to have had a makeover and looks rather dashing now." She didn't mention that she had a hand in that endeavor, however.

"'Dashing' may be stretching it," he responded. "However, his upgraded image will serve him well as a doctor. Patients might not trust someone who keeps himself as unkempt as he had been."

"He probably let himself go in his eagerness to overtake you in the class rankings."

"Yes, he was rather intense earlier in the year. Do you think he has given up on that—I hope I'm not being too arrogant here—foolish goal?"

Matsumoto pumped a fist when she hit a sideline drive that barely nicked the line. "Maybe he has settled on a new way to supersede you."

"Really?" Naoki bounced the ball with his racquet. "Wait, you're not seriously suggesting that he is making a play for Kotoko?" He laughed before he served. "She wouldn't have him."

"I'm not that sure." Matsumoto grunted with the swing of her backhand. "He seemed intent on her the times I saw them. Looking at her with eyes of adoration." That expression, she mused angrily, had never been aimed her way except by losers like Sudo.

"I'm not worried," Naoki replied laconically.

Matsumoto glumly concluded that the attempt to provoke jealousy and create a chink in Naoki's armor had failed. If she could have observed the crease between Naoki's eyes as he showered after practice, her hopes might have been raised.

* * *

A/N: Those of you who take pleasure in 'Jealous Naoki' will enjoy the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

Temporarily pausing the tourniquet practice, Kotoko asked worriedly, "Are you sure this isn't too tight, Sei-chan?"

"The purpose of the procedure is to restrict blood flow in the case of a traumatic injury. You can twist it a couple more times."

"But you don't have a tornadic injury," she argued. "I don't want to hurt a healthy arm."

Funatsu patted her hand with a smile. "Just remember who the medical expert is, my dear."

"Oh, ah, yes," she said, flustered, moving her hand from under his to wind the strap. "How about now?"

He gave her a grimace. "That will do, Kotoko-chan. Now," he placed her finger where the leather and his skin met, "observe the tautness. Try to remember that in case you need to apply one for real."

"I see." She continued to rub his skin, noting the resistance to pressure.

When Naoki rounded the corner, it appeared that his girlfriend was stroking the arm of his closest academic competitor.

Funatsu, having noticed him from the corner of his eye, quickly undid the tourniquet and shoved it behind him. He, in turn, clasped Kotoko's hand and continued the motion on his arm. "Can you detect the difference now?" he asked softly, leaning close to her head.

"Yes." She pressed into his skin, which was quickly regaining its natural hue. When a throat cleared behind her, she jumped and swiveled around. "Naoki!" she cried happily. "What a surprise to see you here!"

He erased an unintentional glower and managed to smile at her. "I thought we might go out tonight. Your father issued us a standing invitation to eat at his place, you know."

"That sounds like fun." Kotoko's face lit up. "And then, afterwards—"

"You told me that your father owns his own restaurant, right?" Funatsu broke in.

"Yes," she replied, raising her chin proudly, "and he is one of the best chefs in Tokyo."

"My," he gave a wistful smile, "I'd love to try his food, but I bet it's hard getting in if he is so popular."

"He does have a pretty full reservation book," she admitted, "but I'm certain that you could find a time."

"What about now, with you two? I mean, since you're going anyway. One more person shouldn't matter, right?" He beamed at them with a seemingly oblivious smile.

"Uh," Kotoko and Naoki exchanged hesitant glances, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she said slowly as she packed her things away.

"Great!" He clapped his hands then gestured to Naoki. "Irie, lead the way!"

Spearing him with a sharp look, Naoki took Kotoko's hand and pulled her to his side. " _We'll_ lead the way."

* * *

"I don't like him." Kinnosuke leaned on his elbow at the table in the kitchen.

"Naoki-kun?" Mr. Aihara looked up from the grill. "You sound like a broken record."

"Record? You mean one of those spinny things? Wait a minute, don't get me off track. I'm not talkin' about _him!_ " He waved away the comment. "Though nothing's changed on that front. It's the other guy out there with them that's getting my goat."

"He's a friend and classmate of Naoki-kun who joined them for dinner."

"Yeah, mooching off you."

"I don't think one extra free meal is going to break me," he said drily before handing over a platter. "Here, take these out to them."

He did so, muttering under his breath, "Damn freeloader!"

* * *

"Thanks, Kin-chan!" Kotoko smiled up at her friend as he set the plates before them. "Looks yummy!"

"Aihara-san has outdone himself as usual," Naoki observed.

Funatsu swallowed his first bite. "Most delicious! With such an excellent example, you must be quite the expert chef yourself, Kotoko-chan."

The other two choked momentarily then shook their heads at his concern. "Not hardly!" Kotoko managed to gasp.

"I'm sure that you are downplaying your culinary abilities," he uttered, rejecting her denial. "Remember, your father has decades of experience on you. Why I," he sat back, "will not despair of my medical abilities by comparing myself to veteran surgeons during my residency."

"Wise of you," Naoki said shortly.

"You haven't made her uneasy by voicing undue comparisons, have you, Irie? Not well done of you, if so!"

Narrowing his eyes, he gritted out, "As a matter of fact, I would be _delighted_ to recommend that Kotoko prepare a dish for your _sole_ consumption." He jumped when she slapped his thigh.

"Nonsense, Naoki," Kotoko flushed, "both of you compliment me way too much! Shall we change the subject?"

"Sure." Naoki swallowed and turned to her. "How is your pseudo-medical training getting along?"

"Just great!" She beamed. "Today I learned how tight to make a tourniquet."

"Too bad you didn't practice on his neck," he muttered under his breath.

"You ought to thank me for taking care of your girlfriend, Irie," Funatsu stated.

"Really?" he bit out. "In what way?"

"Well, besides the fact that this additional instruction allows you to concentrate on your _important_ studies—"

"Oh? I thought you were the one who needed to pay closer attention. _Second Place Funatsu_ ," he enunciated maliciously.

"Naoki, stop that!" Kotoko whispered with a slight smile. "Sei-chan has been very helpful."

Funatsu cleared his throat. "Not to mention that with me by her side, I keep her fanboys away."

"I didn't know that you were being pestered that much, Kotoko," Naoki said in concern.

She waved it away with a laugh. "How can I take any confession seriously if they can't even use my actual name? When they call me 'Kotorin', I just thank them and remind them that I'm not a real anime character and can't be their waifu."

"So I guess you take _me_ seriously since I call you 'Kotoko' properly, eh?" Funatsu leaned towards her.

"More like improperly," Naoki growled quietly.

Kotoko blinked. "I don't follow."

"That's right, Kotoko!" Kinnosuke appeared suddenly. "Don't you follow that schemer anywhere!"

"For once, we two are in agreement." Naoki nodded to the chef.

"Scammer?" Kotoko raged. "Kin-chan, what is wrong with your head, accusing Sei-chan of a crime?"

"I didn't say he was doin' anything illegal, just unethical. And see," he pointed at her, "havin' you call him 'Sei-chan' isn't proper when you have a boyfriend and all. Even if I don't actually approve of your relationship," he added as an aside.

"But I call you 'Kin-chan'," she replied, puzzled.

"Well—well—this and that are two entirely different things. Irie," he turned to Naoki, "why don't you put a stop to this?!"

" _I'm_ putting a stop to this!" Mr. Aihara grabbed Kinnosuke in a choke hold and dragged him backwards. "Sorry for the commotion, everyone," he apologized to the entire restaurant.

"And I believe that concludes the entertainment portion of our evening." Naoki stood and took Kotoko's hand then raised an eyebrow at Funatsu. "I assume I will see you in class tomorrow?"

"Of course," he grinned, "I wouldn't want you to get complacent about your first place position."

"Not complacent," he retorted, "just confident."

Funatsu snarled as he followed the two from the restaurant. _Damn bastard! And now he had an extra four hours of study before he could hit the sack. At least,_ he thought as he whistled tonelessly, _he had seen some cracks in Irie's armor that night._

* * *

"You call him 'Sei-chan'? Whose idea was that?" Naoki asked after they (finally!) got rid of the unwanted fifth wheel.

"His," Kotoko replied. "He said that's what his family calls him and he misses them. So there's no real harm in it, is there?"

He grunted, "I suppose not, although it gives off the wrong impression, being on such familiar terms, even calling you 'Kotoko-chan'."

"Yes," she giggled, "the first few times he did that, I kept thinking about Obasama."

Putting an arm over her shoulder, he laughed as his mood lifted. "That one statement relieves me greatly."

"Oh, you!" She tickled his ribs with her fingertips. "You didn't think I'd fall for someone else, much less a friend of yours, did you?"

"Normally I wouldn't," he admitted, "but I've been receiving some hints that there was something more to your meetings. There still could be," he mused.

"Huh?" She turned her key in the apartment door lock.

"Funatsu hasn't made any kind of romantic move on you, has he?"

Kotoko wrinkled her nose as she thought. "Not really. He sits a little closer to me than I prefer, but since he's from another part of Japan that could just be a regional habit."

"I haven't heard of any quirk like that before." Naoki's brow was furrowed. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes. And now that you mention it, occasionally I catch him staring at me with a weird sort of expression. It's not one that makes him look like he's in love with me, but it's very intense."

"Hmm." Naoki pulled her to him. "I suspect that you may have become entangled in Funatsu's maniacal competitiveness with me. I don't want you hurt by him, if it's some scheme of his."

Kotoko stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss. "How could I be hurt by him if I'm not in love with him? I'll just take whatever knowledge he's willing to share that will help me in the future."

"You know," he whined, "I could perform that task just as well—or _better than_ —he can."

"I've said over and over that I don't want to get in the way of your medical future."

"Yeah, yeah," he agreed, "I figured you'd say that. But if he's actually trying what I think he is, he may make some sort of move on you. I'd rather stop that before it actually occurs."

"You mean a physical move?" she asked.

"Yes. Tomorrow before class I'll tell him to pull the plug on his little game."

"He'd just deny it, don't you think? I mean, he hasn't actually done anything yet."

Naoki rested his forehead on hers. "I don't want you in some sort of danger, even if the possibility is the most remote. You're so small, and, skinny though he may be, he still outweighs you and is stronger."

"I know!" she cried with a grin. "Yuuki-kun is taking martial arts lessons. I'll have him give me some hints."

"Lord preserve the house," he muttered, after reluctantly conceding that this was an agreeable compromise.


	16. Chapter 16

"Why does it look so easy on Youtube?" Kotoko complained as Yuuki effortlessly resisted every one of her attempts to put him on the floor.

"Face it, Onee-chan," the boy said, pulling away, "you don't have the core strength or the balance to toss me."

"Hmph!" She flopped onto the foam cot mattress which had been placed over the carpet for fall protection, not that anyone had landed there but her.

"Why don't you do like Onii-chan suggested and let _him_ handle the guy?" He seated himself next to her.

"Because he hasn't actually made a move—not that I'm convinced he will—and it wouldn't look good for two first-year medical students to have a constipated disagreement."

Yuuki grimaced. "I believe you mean 'contentious', but I see your point. So," he swung an arm over her slumped shoulders, "what are you going to do if he _does_ make a pass?"

"Yell real loudly?" she mused, cocking her head.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "you have no problem turning up the volume."

"Are you saying I'm loud?" She commenced to running her fingers over his ribs.

"Ow, stop!" he wheezed, rolling away. "Too bad we don't know if this Funatsu is ticklish or not. That would make a great offensive move."

Kotoko placed a finger under her chin. "I could try it anyway…"

"Nah," he waved off the idea, "if he's not ticklish, he might take that as an invitation for more familiarity."

"Woo!" she hooted, "aren't you using the big words!"

He tapped his temple. "Irie brains, remember?" As he spoke, his eyes glanced over her shoulder, focusing on the Fall Festival crown. "Hold on a second!" He scrambled to his feet. "I've got an idea."

* * *

"You aren't exactly the target audience for this film, Yuuki-kun," Kotoko commented as he loaded the DVD player.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Everyone used to take turns picking the show for family movie night. This was one of Mom's choices."

She nodded. "That makes more sense. But I still don't understand how watching it will help me."

Yuuki flipped through the scenes. "I got the idea because you won the title of Tonan queen. This movie is about an American FBI agent infiltrating a beauty pageant, and her talent is demonstrating self-defense moves for woman."

Kotoko jumped when Sandra Bullock sent Benjamin Bratt reeling with a hit to the nose. "Oh, I couldn't stand to hurt someone like that."

"You'd probably break your hand if you tried," Yuuki agreed. "That's not what I want you to see anyway."

When the man hit the stage after being tossed effortlessly by the actress, she protested, "That's just what we decided I _couldn't_ do!"

"Be patient," he chided.

They watched the remainder of the scene in silence, both wincing at the pain apparently inflicted. "That doesn't look very sportsmanlike," she complained.

"If the guy does anything to you that you don't want him to, he's not playing by the rules anyway," Yuuki pointed out.

Kotoko pondered a moment then ordered, "Rewind it."

"It's DVD, not a tape," he muttered as he replayed the scene several times. "So, do you get it now? SING—solar plexis, instep, nose, groin."

"I think so. Can I practice on you?"

"No!" he squawked. "Besides, I'm much shorter than that guy." He grinned evilly. "Maybe you can get Onii-chan to do it."

* * *

"Why is that medical nerd joining us for lunch every day?" Jinko had not warmed to the new table attendee who had taken the place of a disheartened Sonada.

"You shouldn't call him a nerd," Kotoko scolded. "Consider who I'm dating!"

"Yes, but Irie-kun is cool. This one gives off a bad vibe," Satomi put in.

"Both of you are just remembering that day last spring," she rebuked. "If I had stuck to my first impression, Naoki and I would never have gotten together."

"Speaking of high school," she said, glancing at the other, "Jinko and I have agreed that we are going to follow your example and interfere this time."

"What?" Kotoko blinked in confusion.

"This guy," Jinko leaned towards her, "is either crushing heavily on you or is doing a real good job of imitating it. I don't think he's on the up-and-up."

Kotoko startled them into silence with her next statement. "Well, neither does Naoki."

Satomi sat back and Jinko clasped both sides of her head. "Then why are you still hangin' around with him?!"

"Because he is giving me extraordinarily good information about how to prevent and treat sports accidents."

"But even your boyfriend has suspicions—?!" Satomi slapped the table. "Why don't you listen to him?"

"I do—I mean, I did." If Kotoko believed that was the end of the matter, she had another think coming.

"And—?" Jinko waved a hand for her to continue.

"Yuuki-kun helped me devise a self-defense plan in case it becomes necessary—which I don't think will happen." She rolled her eyes. "Sei-chan may have his idiocies, but he isn't going to threaten me."

"I think you mean 'idiosynchrasies'," Satomi corrected.

"No, no," Jinko disputed, "'idiocies' covers the both of them. Advice from a grade-schooler, indeed! Now, shh! Here he comes!"

* * *

Neither of Kotoko's friends contributed much to the conversation, so Funatsu waxed bold in his comments, sitting too close to her for any of the girls' peace of mind.

"What's keepin' Irie-kun?" Jinko muttered to Satomi.

"I don't know, but it's all I can do to keep from slapping him silly." She was silent a moment. "Change that—I'd just need to slap Kotoko."

"Wouldn't take as much force to get her to 'silly'," Jinko agreed. "Hey!" She spied Naoki outside the door. "Finally, right as we've finished eating."

Dark bushes outside the ceiling-high windows on the other side of the cafeteria acted like a mirror, and Funatsu took full advantage of it. When Kotoko stood and took her tray from the table, oblivious to her approaching boyfriend, Funatsu put his arms completely around her from behind, saying, "Let me."

The sudden movement, much closer than prior attempts, brought Yuuki-kun's coaching tips to the forefront. "SING!" she shouted. "Solar plexis! Instep! Nose! Groin!" With each word she performed the motions that she had observed and practiced on her closet door (with apologies to the full-length poster of her favorite singer).

Naoki hurried his steps, his initial wave of rage at the scene which had met his eyes upon his entrance washed away in concern. "Funatsu?" He bent down and made the peace sign. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Huh?" He moved his hands from his privates and touched his nose. "You boke by dose!" he cried, smearing the blood streaming from his proboscis.

Despite his howls of protest, Naoki manipulated that portion of his anatomy. "She sure did," he agreed. "If the cafeteria can give us a bag of ice, I'll walk you over to the infirmary."

"I'm sorry!" Kotoko rubbed her hands together in worry. "But you startled me, getting so close like that!"

"No permanent harm done," her boyfriend said lightly as he fought Funatsu's attempts to refuse his help and hauled him to his feet. "Thanks," he nodded at Kinnosuke who had rushed from the back with the needed ice. "I'll see you tonight," he said, winking at Kotoko.

"Good job and good riddance!" Kinnosuke declared, arms akimbo.

"And long overdue!" Jinko and Satomi gave each other high fives.

Kotoko frowned at them.

* * *

"You weren't expecting that from Kotoko, were you?" Naoki attempted conversation as he escorted his classmate to the clinic.

"Bud, why?" he wailed from behind the ice.

"Because you proved what I had been warning her about for weeks," he stated. "You never had any personal interest in her. She was just a tool to use to try and rattle me." He shook his head. "If you used your brain that hard in studying, I'd have to work harder."

"You wud neber wuwwied?" He seemed incredulous.

"No, Kotoko and I trust each other. Too bad you don't know us well enough to realize that."

"Mazzamodo shooddah wahned be," he murmured, luckily too low for Naoki to hear.

* * *

A/N: I also do not own Miss Congeniality. Or Youtube.


	17. Chapter 17

If there was _any_ person in Japan who possibly believed that Mrs. Irie had packed away her camera equipment and given up stalking her offspring's beloved, he or she would have been grossly mistaken. Even before Yuuki's suggested self-defense instruction (which had resulted in numerous bangs and 'Ow!'s from Kotoko's room as the girl hit herself repeatedly against her practice door), she had once more donned her trusty disguise and set forth to 'monitor the situation since my lackadaisical son refuses to'.

To her profound regret, she had not been present for the finale of Funatsu's pseudo-courtship of Kotoko. She pried its details out of Satomi and Jinko after listening to Yuuki's howls of laughter outside Kotoko's room when the girl described the event.

Still not trusting the matter was over, her instincts were proven true when she followed Funatsu to a meeting with Matsumoto on a remote bench just outside of campus.

"How did you muck it up so much?" the beauty inquired, peering at his bandaged nose.

"Irie never took my wooing seriously," he pouted. "The entire ruse was of no benefit. And look at me!" He pointed to his face. "What if it heals crooked? I'll never find a wife!"

"The last part is possible," she agreed, "but not because of your injury. Come on, you're going to be a surgeon. It should be easy to fix if it doesn't suit your idea of perfection after healing."

"Well," he grunted, "I'm not going to try any more underhanded schemes. If I can't beat Irie fair and square, then it would be neither honorable nor satisfying."

"Too bad you didn't discover your scruples _before_ Aihara did a number on you."

Funatsu stood. "If you want to snag Irie, you're going to have to do it yourself. I'm out of it."

She watched him depart with bored eyes. "A lot of help you were. Well, if I can't convince him by rational means that I'm the better partner for him, I suppose I'll just have to go about it in a more seductive manner."

Mrs. Irie's teeth ground together so fiercely that she was surprised the younger woman couldn't hear her. "That doxy! I knew she was up to no good!"

* * *

"Captain Aijima?" Naoki paused at the entrance of the club office. "Do you have a few moments?"

"Certainly!" He waved him in and indicated that he should seat himself. Naoki cleared off the only other chair by removing and neatly stacking an assortment of tennis magazines. "What can I do for you, Irie?" he asked with a grin.

"It's about Matsumoto-san, Sempai."

He chuckled. "What's she done now?"

"Now?" Naoki raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"I must apologize for enjoying the spectacle of one of the most highly sought-after women on campus futilely try to ensnare a most elusive target."

"And a most unwilling one," Naoki added testily. "Do you mean that everyone else knows?"

"Pretty much. Although," he steepled his fingers and leaned back at a dangerous angle, "I'm not sure about Aihara."

"She hasn't mentioned it, and I'd really rather it not come to her attention. Because if it causes _her_ concern, then it will be only a matter of time before my mother is involved. _Believe me_ ," he stressed the words, "you don't want that."

"What do you suggest? Shall I send her constant requests for technical advice to Sudo? An able vice-captain he may be, but he is in no way your equal on the court."

Naoki snorted in agreement then pondered the quandary for a moment. "Try telling her that the extra work with her has dulled my skills and that she needs to find another person for awhile. I don't care whose way you shove her, just get her off my back."

Aijima's chair clattered against the concrete floor when he let it crash back onto all four legs. "I'll give it my best shot, but I make no guarantees."

"That's all I can ask. If it doesn't work, the only choices I have left are to publicly reject her—which would open her up to ridicule—or to leave the team."

"Let's not have any talk about quitting, Irie." The captain rose to his feet. "I'm sure I can make her see reason."

Naoki bowed before his departure. "I hope so." He breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of forestalling more interference by his mother (little did he know at the time, a lost cause) and missed Sudo's backside disappearing around the corner of the building.

The assistant captain's brow was creased as he concentrated on what he had overheard. _Matsumoto was still hung up over Irie? And the bastard was blind enough to prefer that little nitwit Aihara? Granted, she was cute, but nowhere near the glory of the other woman's blinding beauty._

He frowned. Knowing Matsumoto's determination, nothing the captain said would be able to dissuade her. And, irritating as Irie could be, the team needed him.

He slammed a fist into the other palm. There was nothing for it but to protect his beloved and the tennis team himself. After all, there was no hardship in the task, since it involved remaining close to the object of his desire.

* * *

Finding that her time with Naoki was restricted by the senseless orders of the captain, Matsumoto was forced to use her ultimate weapon. Thus she found herself in the dressing room of a notoriously pricey shop, adjusting a lacy strap as she scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. It wasn't quite a negligee, but it was close as could be and still remain a garment for outerwear. Admiring the amount of cleavage the scanty top revealed, she gloated, _Let's see Irie-kun resist_ this _!_

A few moments later she exited with a triumphant step. Her plan was simple: Follow Naoki home, make her way inside his apartment, and then proceed to seduce him. A few well-posed selfies that just 'happened' to get leaked to the university's student forums, and Aihara would have no choice but to cut him free. Even if she were willing to forgive him, the entire college would be calling for his blood for daring to betray their 'queen'.

 _How strange_ , she mused, _that in order to acquire the ideal man, I must ruin both our reputations_. She shook her shoulders. _Never mind! The end would surely be worth the means._

* * *

"You're not going to be at practice, even though it's my day to show up?" Naoki asked Kotoko during break outside the medical building.

"Nope." She shook her head and grinned. "Dad is experimenting with some new appetizers and wants our opinion. I'm dropping by to pick them up and then heading to the apartment. I'll keep them warm—or cold, as the case may be—for you."

"Don't eat them all before I get there," he warned. "With that to look forward to, I may cut out early then. I'm sure it won't be a problem with Sempai."

"Okay." She blew him a cheeky kiss and skipped to her next class.

* * *

As predicted, Aijima had no problem with him leaving early. As a player, Naoki was as skillful as ever, despite his false claims to Matsumoto that her purported weaknesses were impacting his game. It appeared that the young woman had fallen for the ruse, for she had not requested 'assistance' since the interview. Naoki felt relieved that the situation had been resolved so easily.

As he set out for home, he thought that it was a good thing Kotoko had left earlier. As the year progressed into winter, the days were shorter, and it was full dark within minutes of his departure. Both for that reason and because he had no suspicions, he did not perceive several shadows trailing him.

* * *

"Brr!" The temperature had dropped dramatically while Matsumoto waited for Naoki to leave practice. _Thank goodness he wound things up quickly,_ she thought with a shiver, _considering how chilly it has become._ The wind made nothing of the light jacket covering the scanty tunic which she had chosen to wear as a short dress. _At least I have tall boots to protect my legs,_ she thought as she followed a block behind. _Although,_ she added, _perhaps I should have broken them in first. I'm afraid I'm working up a blister on one heel._

* * *

Sudo was dressed more warmly than the girl, so he was not as affected by the weather. Actually, after one gust had revealed the hem of her garment, his ire almost overheated him.

* * *

Mrs. Irie was glad that she had paused to adjust her stalking costume before setting out in pursuit of Matsumoto. "It's that pervert tennis player," she hissed when she spotted him. "Is he part of her new plot, or is there another game afoot?"


	18. Chapter 18

The straggling parade, led by the oblivious Naoki, proceeded through the streets of Tokyo. Mrs. Irie, lagging behind Sudo, was itching to have a better view of her son. _I gave my word not to follow Kotoko, but thanks to that hussy's evil plans I will finally see where Onii-chan lives—without breaking my promise!_ she crowed silently. _Now I can keep a closer eye on him and make sure that he eats properly. Oh, and oversee his and Kotoko-chan's love life._

Remaining a safe distance behind Naoki, Matsumoto hastened her steps as he entered the premises of an apartment complex. Unfortunately for her, by the time she reached the opening through which he had walked, he was nowhere to be seen. Her mind rapidly calculating, she breathed easier when she surmised that the next window to show a light must pinpoint the unit he entered. Her logic was faulty, however, when one takes into consideration that Kotoko had arrived earlier and was waiting for Naoki, lights already on.

A dozen meters from her, Sudo almost bit his nails as he watched her pace back and forth, vainly scanning the buildings. A few passersby looked askance at Matsumoto yet failed to approach her. Fearing that situation would not endure for much longer, he decided that it was time to intervene.

Mrs. Irie was intrigued by the actions of the two individuals who had preceded her. Concluding that the trail had gone cold, she decided to continue taking picture for a few more minutes before heading home. As the digital camera shutter operated rapidly and soundlessly (for she knew that she must remain undetected on this mission), she wondered if her memory card would be adequate for the night's adventures.

"Yuko-chan!" Sudo called out, waving, as he neared her.

She twirled and snapped, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I might ask you the same question," he replied. "Why must you yearn for that cold Irie? Don't you know that I," he placed a hand on his chest, "am ready, willing and able to fill that empty spot in your heart?"

"You know nothing of it!" She turned and raised her chin. "Superior minds such as Irie-kun's and mine deserve to be together."

"Your minds? Give me a break, Yuko!" He pulled open the insufficient jacket. "Is _this_ what you wear for a serious conversation?"

The sudden whine of a siren froze him into position, and he stared, gape-jawed, as two policemen exited their vehicle.

"What do we have here, Wataru?" the first one asked, surveying them from head to toe.

"Well, Sugishita-senpai," the younger man replied, "we were called for suspicion of soliciting, but it looks like her 'handler' showed up to be netted as well."

"Handler?" asked the confused Sudo. "I'm not sure what you mean. Yes, I'm the assistant captain, but—"

"Doesn't matter what you call it," the senior officer interrupted, "prostitution and procuring are illegal. Let's take them into custody, Officer Kaburagi."

"Prosti—!" Matsumoto cried. "How did you come to that conclusion?!" She tugged against the policeman's grip.

"Look, Lady," Kaburagi said in a bored tone, "we received a tip that a woman was hanging around in a suspicious manner, dressed for sex work."

She pulled the jacket lapels together when she noticed him looking at the lacy top. "I didn't wear... _this_ for that purpose!" she argued. "There's a perfectly reasonable explanation!"

"There always is. Come along quietly, Miss," Sugishita ordered, having easily restrained the gobsmacked Sudu with plastic handcuffs.

A shocked and shaken Matsumoto held out her hands mutely, tears falling down her cheeks.

"No use crying," the man shook his head, "I'm not the one who's going to be deciding your fate."

"Excuse me! Excuse me, officers!" Mrs. Irie trilled as she approached with a wave.

She was fully scrutinized as a possible accomplice before the idea was dismissed as ridiculous. "Ma'am," the elder officer tipped his hat, "what keeps you out so late?"

"Why, sir," she fluttered, "I just happened to be in the neighborhood of my son's apartment and saw these two young people right before you drove up."

"Are you the anonymous caller, then?"

"Oh, no, not at all," she denied merrily. "Actually, I recognize them as a couple of my son's college acquaintances and cannot allow you to arrest them on false charges."

"Pardon me for disagreeing," Kaburagi put in, "but you may not be aware of all of their non-academic activities."

"Well, I am positive that these two are not engaged in...this…what you said."

"The sex trade?" The officer gave her a vocabulary hint.

"Yes, that!" She beamed at him.

He was not convinced. "How can you be that certain?"

"Because I...Well, you see...Oh, darn! I guess I'm going to have to come clean!" Mrs. Irie sighed. "Look, despite the fact that I do not care for this young woman and have called her any number of names indicating...that particular occupation, I cannot allow such a miscarriage of justice. She is enamored of my son, ignoring the fact that he has a most appropriate," she glared at Matsumoto, who returned the favor, "girlfriend, and was following him this evening. Most likely to embark on her latest attempt to ensnare him." She waved a hand towards the girl, whose jacket once more gapped open. "I followed to make certain that she failed."

"And the young man with her?"

"He is associated with Tonan University's tennis team, in which all of them participate. He, in turn, appears to be in love with her. I doubt if he was part of her plot, considering those feelings."

"I wanted to keep her from making a mistake!" Sudo cried from the back seat of the police car. "It's no use trying to nudge out Aihara, Yuko-chan," he said to Matsumoto with a pleading look.

"We-e-ell…" The two men appeared dubious.

"Look," Mrs. Irie held out her camera, "I chronicled our journey this evening." She scowled. "My son refuses to believe that his love life is in danger, and I wanted to provide visible proof."

The policemen scanned the shots. "Look, Sempai, they did start from the campus. I recognize that bell tower."

"Okay." The other raised his gaze. "It looks like you may be correct. However, I'd like to interview your son, who appears to be at the center of this...I don't know what to call it." He gestured with his arm. "Would you be so kind as to lead the way?"

"Well, the fact of the matter is, Officer," Mrs. Irie tittered nervously, "I don't actually know which one of these is my son's apartment."

The men exchanged a look with raised eyebrows. "Do tell," Sugishita said drily.

"You see, he is extremely secretive about his living arrangements. If you can imagine, Onii-chan claims that I would be constantly invading his privacy if I had that address. Would you say such a thing about your mother?" she begged of Kaburagi, seeing that he was closer to Naoki's age.

"Perhaps if she still called me 'Onii-chan' while I was in college."

His partner snorted then spoke up. "So, in other words, you were killing two birds with one stone by trailing the young lady and her, um, follower."

"What a sneaky plan!" Matsumoto burst out with an inadvertent hint of admiration.

"Wasn't it, though?" Mrs. Irie proclaimed with pride. "So you see why I cannot do as you request?"

"Could you not call your son and ask him to come out?"

"Oh, he wouldn't like that. He gets aggravated at the slightest provocation."

"Well, if there is no one who can corroborate your story, ma'am, we have no choice but to take the whole lot of you to the station and let our superiors sort it out."

"Oh, no!" Mrs. Irie covered her mouth. "What in the world would Papa say?"

"Hey!" Sudo called out. "I can swear that she's Irie's mom. A wickeder tennis player I never met, barring her son."

He laughed. "Sorry, but I can't let another suspect verify the other. Is there anyone— _anyone_ —you can call?"

Mrs. Irie thought rapidly then snapped her fingers. "Ah! Kotoko-chan!" She opened her purse and dug around for her phone. "She will vouch for me!"

As the police officers looked on skeptically, she pulled up the number and waited for the call to be picked up.

And waited.

And waited.

"Finally, Kotoko-chan! Thank goodness you answered, because I'm in a bit of a pickle. There are a couple of nice policemen with me. Could you please tell them that tennis hussy and pervert coach are harmless?"

"Policemen—?!" Kotoko exclaimed. "Obasama, what's going on?"

Naoki pulled the phone from her hand. "Mother, where are you?"

"Onii-chan—?" She stared at the screen. "Oh, of course, Kotoko-chan said that she wouldn't be home until later. Um, actually I'm not far from your apartment; at the entrance gate, to be precise. I just don't know which unit is yours. What is the number, if you please?"

"I don't particular 'please'," he said grouchily, "but I'll open the door." He glanced over at the window where Kotoko was gesticulating that his mother was indeed downstairs.

* * *

"Yes, your identities have been properly resolved," Sugishita addressed the group while handing Naoki back his college ID. He closed his notebook and quirked his lips as he looked from Naoki's misbuttoned shirt to Kotoko's mussed hair. "I'm sorry that we were forced to interrupt what appears to have been a most pleasantly planned evening."

"Yes, sir, it _was_." He glared at Mrs. Irie, who was attempting to be surreptitious as she inspected her surroundings.

"Shall we drop your mother at her home when we leave with the other two parties?" he inquired courteously.

"Thank you for the offer, but it will not be necessary. As soon as Mom called, I phoned Dad to come over quickly. He should be here momentarily."

"As you wish." He tipped his hat. "Enjoy what is left of the evening."

Less than a minute after the police departed, Mr. Irie hurried through the door. "Mama!" The portly man exclaimed. "What happened?"

"What happened," his son replied in distaste, "is that she stalked two friends of mine to this apartment."

"After dark, Mama?" He shook his head. "So dangerous."

"But Onii-chan was in danger!" she protested. "That female had seductive designs on our son!"

"Mom, Kotoko was with me, and let me assure all of you that I have no interest in a ménage à trois."

"Managing toys?" Kotoko asked in puzzlement. "I thought you made that clear when you chose a medical career over working at Pandai."

"Never mind," he flushed, "I'll explain later. Mother, her plot wouldn't have worked anyway. And that Sudo—!"

"It sounds very confusing," his father said, "but I'm sure it will all make better sense after a good night's sleep. Come on, Mama," he placed an arm around his wife, "we'll sort it all out in the morning. Poor Yuuki-kun is probably fretting away with worry at home."

Kotoko spoke up. "If you don't mind," she gave Naoki a look of apology, "but since the mood has been broken, I might as well go home too."

"'Broken'? Try 'shattered to smithereens'," Naoki corrected. "Come to think of it, now not only does my mother know where I live, but so do Matsumoto and Sudo." He looked around in regret. "I'd better try to get out of my lease, since the purpose of this place was privacy."

"And that's another thing!" Mrs. Irie spoke up. "Keeping your parents in ignorance of your whereabouts! Why, anything could have happened to you and we wouldn't know where you were!"

Mr. Irie cleared his throat. "Actually, Mama…" He raised his eyebrows and dipped his chin in apology.

She gasped. "Papa! Do not tell me that you knew where he lived all along and never told me!" Arm over her forehead, she gasped dramatically, "What of our wedding vows to share everything?"

"Can it, Mom," Naoki said. "I don't think it's grounds for divorce. Dad," he said, "I believe I'll join you in the mass exodus tonight. Either of those two might show up again, and I really don't want to deal with them so soon."

Clapping hands in glee, his mother exclaimed, "I'll have all my children under one roof again!" She winked and whispered loudly, "Then you can get back to whatever you two were doing when we interrupted you."

"Not a chance!" he retorted. "Knowing you, you'd have the door cracked and be videotaping the entire thing."

Judging by the disappointment on her face, his supposition was not far off the mark.

* * *

A/N: I borrowed names from the Japanese police drama _AIBOU_. The characters are actually detectives and I've never seen it, so their interactions are probably all off.


	19. Chapter 19

At long last, Mrs. Irie declared that the bride looked 'Absolutely perfect!' and swept out of the dressing room, Keiko Mecheri's 'Hanae' wafting in her wake.

Kotoko raised her eyebrows at the one other person in the room. "Yuuki-kun?" she asked. "Do you have any last words for me?"

"Don't make it sound like I'm heading to my execution," he complained. "Even though I feel like this whole thing is my fault."

* * *

"Onii-chan, is there any way to rein in Mother?" Yuuki asked after hearing of her latest escapade. "Her hobby could have ended her up in much worse hot water."

"Luckily, that's not our job," Naoki sighed. "Poor Dad!"

"I thought something tragic had happened when I heard her crying so loudly earlier."

Mr. Irie, after getting the full story of the previous evening's outing, had taken her into his home office. Great wails had emanated from that direction scant minutes later. Naoki was forced to physically restrain Kotoko from running to his mother's side.

"No, he simply confiscated her camera equipment and instructed her to inform him whenever she leaves the house."

"So, he grounded her?" Yuuki snorted.

"In a manner of speaking," his brother admitted.

"But her internals were good!" Kotoko protested.

The two brothers looked at each other. "'Intentions'?" Naoki hazarded.

"Isn't that what I said?"

"Sure it was." He sighed, "So, being a busybody is now a positive trait?"

"She thought she was protecting me," she insisted. "Remember, you tried to do the same thing with Funatsu."

He placed a finger on her nose. "And _you_ told me to mind my own business. Your argument has no merit."

"Merit, schmerit!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "You should cut your own mother some slack."

"Slackness is what got her into this mess," he reminded her. "Dad always pretty much let her do what she wanted."

"Wait a second, Onii-chan." Yuuki appeared lost in thought. "Mom is only acting like this because she wants to make sure that no one breaks up you and Onee-chan, right?"

"That's her story," Naoki conceded. "I believe that she'd still meddle, no matter what."

"Is there anything that we could do to ease her mind?" asked Kotoko in concern.

"Yeah," Yuuki cracked, "you could get engaged or married."

* * *

As it turned out, Naoki thought Yuuki's joking suggestion was worth consideration. "We're still young," he said to Kotoko, "but the announcement of an engagement could settle her down."

"Do I get a ring?" she teased.

"Not a bad idea," he returned. "It might keep your fanboys away."

"Pooh!" She waved a hand airily. "They don't bother me! It's you who needs the big 'keep away' signs to warn off girls like Matsumoto."

"That's what I have you for," he said, hugging her to his side.

* * *

Yuuki clapped both hands over his mouth when they announced their engagement; or, rather, when Naoki bowed and asked Mr. Aihara for permission to marry his daughter, since they were both underage.

"Of course, this will be after graduation," he added, "as our college classes will not permit us to be distracted by extensive plans and such."

* * *

If he believed that statement would deter Mrs. Irie, he was deluding himself. Less than two weeks later she convened a family meeting and unfolded the grand wedding scheme.

"See, Onii-chan," she beamed at him, "there was no need for you to worry. I have it all in hand!"

"Mom, we said we wanted a long engagement," he protested.

"Why?" She stared at him intensely. "So you can wiggle out of it?"

"No, it's just not usual for college students to marry so young."

"Well, you've always been a most unusual young man," she sniffed. "Now, don't try to argue with me. I've already paid thousands of yen in deposits and selected three dresses for Kotoko to choose from."

Naoki lifted Kotoko's chin, which had dropped at the beginning of the presentation and had not yet risen on its own. "How about the groom and attendants?" he asked acidly. "Do we have a choice of tuxedos?"

"What a ridiculous question! I have more fashion sense in my little finger than you men have in your entire bodies."

"Dad," he turned to Mr. Irie, "did you know what she was doing?"

His father hung his head. "It's an improvement over stalking, Son."

"And you, Aihara-san?"

"By now I know better than to get in the way of the Missus, Naoki-kun," admitted that wise man.

He sighed and returned to his mother. "Aren't you going to overextend yourself, planning both this and the Pandai Christmas party?"

"Already taken care of!" She snapped her fingers. "I have combined the two."

"What?!"

"The same people that we would invite to the wedding would be invited to the party. Why make them dress up for two different occasions?"

"Kotoko and I might have a few people we'd want to include," he tried to reason with her.

"Who? That pushy witch who won't let go of you? As if I'd let her stand up and object in the middle of the ceremony!"

"I don't think even Matsumoto would try that," Kotoko ventured. "But maybe Satomi and Jinko…?"

"Satomi-chan is going to be your attendant, dear," she consoled her. "Jinko-chan said that no amount of money would persuade her into a bridesmaid's dress, even though I picked a design that is oh-so-cute, not like those frou-frou things which can never be worn elsewhere!"

"Have you selected my groomsman, then?" her son asked. "Or am I allowed _any_ input into the matter?"

"I thought perhaps your friend from high school who is attending Waseda. I believe Kotoko-chan mentioned that you have been socializing with him again lately."

Naoki's shoulders rose and fell before he addressed Kotoko. "How about it, then?"

* * *

"It's no one's 'fault', Yuuki-kun," Kotoko consoled him. "I'm happy to be marrying Naoki, although I never expected to do so this quickly or this fancily!"

The strapless satin bodice fit her tightly, while the skirt flared gently, sparkling jewels decorating the hem area and climbing upwards in an ombre pattern. Her hair was styled in a deceptively simple updo, and a delicate tiara anchored a small fascinator-sized veil.

"You know, I'm not much into appreciating girls yet, but you look pretty good," the boy proclaimed. He squinted. "I'm probably not supposed to notice, but you fill out that dress better than you did the swimsuit last summer."

"You!" She tossed an unused silk flower at him. "You're almost right—you're supposed to notice but not say anything."

"Since I've already broken an unspoken rule, can I ask what kind of substructure produced those results?"

"I don't know about a sub-whatever, but there is this medieval torture device known as a corset. Perhaps you've heard of it."

Yuuki nodded in thought. "That explains it." He grinned widely. "I bet Onii-chan will enjoy it."

Kotoko looked in vain for something else to throw at him before declaring, "If all you're going to do is aggravate me before I have to display myself in front of Tokyo high society, then you can leave!"

He had to tease her one more time. "Not just Tokyo, but Japan." Before the top of her head exploded, he thrust a small box at her. "Here," he said, "this is for you. Take it as either an apology or a wedding gift."

Glaring at him, she opened the package. Her eyes widened. "Yuuki-kun! It's gorgeous!"

"I had to ask for a few advances on my allowance," he conceded as she drew out a fragile silver chain with pearls interspersed.

"But, why?" She fumbled with the clasp but managed to put it on.

"It's a welcome to the family and a thank you for taking on Onii-chan."

"Taking on Naoki?"

"He's one of a kind, and I don't know if there are many women who could match him so well, plus get along with Mother." He chuckled. "She has fretted about his love life since he was in middle school."

"Well," Kotoko twinkled at him, "with him taken care of, it will be your turn soon."

"What?!" he squawked.

"Never mind." She admired her new jewelry. "Your Onee-chan will watch out for you. Now," she swallowed, "is it time?"

"Yeah, Aihara-san is in the hall, ready when you are."

She rose and shook out her skirt. "Well, let's get this show on the road!"

* * *

The audience rose when Pachelbel's Canon in D Major segued into Mendelssohn. Satomi's eyes shyly met Watanabe's as she walked several meters in front of Kotoko.

The bride noticeably skipped down the aisle at her father's side. The groom, on the other hand, retained a stolid expression during the ceremony, although observant witnesses were able to see a softening in his eyes when Kotoko appeared.

The only disruption of the ceremony emanated from one of the few guests which Mrs. Irie allowed her children. Kinnosuke, seated at Mr. Aihara's side after that gentleman had passed over his daughter, wailed so loudly that even Mrs. Irie's furious glares did not silence him. His boss ended up having to clap a hand over his mouth, luckily having the forethought to include a muffling handkerchief. The younger man soon pulled it off and rattled the chapel's windows with the echoes of his nose blows.

Under cover of applause after being presented as a married couple, Kotoko whispered, "Why so grim, Naoki?"

"It's just that Mother never listens," he griped softly. "We're going to be the talk of the campus, you know."

"When aren't we?" she riposted. "At least our wedding bands should prove more of a deterrent than a mere engagement ring."

"And having to fly immediately to Hawaii," he continued to complain. "I could have got some good studying in before school starts back up."

"That's what you say about every trip that you don't want to go on." She laughed at him as they proceeded up the aisle together. " At least it will keep us out of the mess of the house renovation."

"You're right," his face lightened, "we'll have our own separate suite."

"And in the safety of your parents' home," she pointed out to him, "stalkers should be easily deferred."

"'Deterred'," he corrected, "but we should probably inspect the new rooms for surveillance devices. You know Mother and her interfering personality."

"Else, it will be back to hide-and-seek again!" she joked.

Mrs. Irie, on her part, took it as an exceeding positive omen that the new couple laughed together in the first few minutes of their marriage.

* * *

"Aihara!" The word echoed throughout the tennis complex and startled Kotoko so much that she dropped the items in her hands.

"What has Sudo's princess so out-of-sorts this time?" Kosaka asked sarcastically.

"Shh!" Kotoko giggled. "Don't let her hear you call her that."

"You are sick! _Sick!_ " Matsumoto stormed into the area.

"No, I'm quite well," she replied as she calmly began to recount bandages.

"Is this your idea a joke?!" The other girl waved a poster so energetically in front of Kotoko's face that she had to grasp her forearm.

"Oh, wow, Okaasan has been busy." She admired a large glossy reproduction of their formal wedding picture with an announcement of their marriage superimposed.

"No one else would have the nerve...or the motive!" she raged. Her eyes widened as her brain caught up to her hearing. "Did you say 'Okaasan'? But I thought your mother was...you know…?"

"I got myself a brand new one!" Kotoko gave her a wide grin and took her turn at waving something in front of another's nose; in this case, her shiny wedding band with a modest engagement ring. She leaned forward and stated with a bit too much pleasure, "Of course, I have to share her with Naoki and Yuuki-kun."

"No, no!" The other girl paled and backed away. She appeared so unsteady that Kosaka stepped up to support her. "It cannot be that Irie-kun was so lost to...to common sense as to take that step!"

Kotoko placed both hands on hips. "I'll thank you to not definate my husband's intelligence. Now, if you will have your tantrum elsewhere, I'll begin—for the _third_ time!—to count my supplies!"

Kosaka grinned and gave a thumbs-up to Naoki when he approached his wife from behind and placed his arms around her.

"...Seven, eight—ack!" She made an exaggerated upset face. "Don't surprise me like that!"

"But it's so much fun," he argued. "About your vocabulary, though…"

"What did I misspeak this time?"

"'Definate'. I'm not sure if you mean 'defame' or 'denigrate'."

"Are they both insults?" she asked. When he nodded, she said, "Then it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Irie-kun," Matsumoto spoke in a wavering voice, "please tell me that this is just a nightmare."

"Are you prone to sleepwalking in broad daylight?" he inquired.

"This...this picture," she waved the now crumpled photo, "is a fake, right?"

He scowled. "Mom sure didn't spend all her time on the remodeling project while we were in Hawaii, did she?"

The realization that the two sported matching tans pushed her over the edge. "Aargh! The world has gone insane! The only man who could match me has been taken by a—a clumsy idiot!"

"Don't worry, Matsumoto-san," Kotoko said sweetly, "there's always Sudo-sempai."

"Did I hear my name?" That very person approached them. "Say, Irie, congratulations!" He shook his hand. "I saw the write-up in the paper. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail, huh?" He winked to show that no feelings were hurt.

"Newspaper?" Matsumoto closed her eyes. "My family had no access to the newspaper or any other media during our holiday trip." Covering her face in despair, she cried, "If only I had been there to object!"

The newlyweds looked at each other. "Your mother is scarily psycho," Kotoko whispered.

"Indeed, she is," Naoki replied, "although I think you meant 'psychic'."

She winked at him. "I know what I said! And that's the word I intended to use!" When his eyes widened, she added, "Life with your mother will never be boring!"

Laughing down at her, he corrected, "No, life with _you_ will never be boring."

* * *

A/N: Several people commented that they wanted a wedding; ALBrassard, among others. Looking back, I realized that Kotoko and Naoki had pretty much eloped in both my other series, and the only wedding which I described was not with Irie _Naoki_ (my 'Kisses' series). I hope you enjoyed the story, and thank you for staying with me this long. Real life has limited my writing time lately, so my schedule is much slower.


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